Ancient Reflections
by TM LB
Summary: A nasty accident with the millenium items leaves Malik and Ryou trapped in Ancient Egypt...can they save the pharoh from their malicious yamis? Shounen-ai BxM, Rxm, Yxy - mild Anzu bashing ^_^
1. So it begins

Author Notes: 

**LB: **ha ha! tremble in fear, the good guys are here! welcome to the first published joint fic between The Muffin and Lightning Baron!! *mass cheering*

**TM:** Wooo! Wooooooo! Wooooooooooo!

**LB: **You can turn the cheering tape off now....

**TM:** *turns off tape* all done ^^. 

**LB: **......good....ahem chapter 1 is mine...yes! all mine!!! mwahahahaha!

**TM: **Wooo! Wooooooo! Wooooooooooo!

**LB:** *glares at TM*****

**TM: ***shuts up*****

**LB:** now thats sorted, on with the fic!!

**TM:** *cheers*****

**LB: ...........**Oh yes, please R&R

**TM:** *looks puzzled* Gah? 

**LB:** I'll explain it to you when you are older

**TM:** OO

**LB:** On with the fic! 

**Disclaimer: **Neither Lightning Baron nor The Muffin own Yugioh…yet****

**Additional note: **Hikari Malik = Malik, Yami Malik = Marik, Hikari Bakura = Ryou, Yami Bakura = Bakura, Tea = Anzu or Friendship whore

**Chapter 1** by Lightning Baron 

Parks. 

Parks were peaceful places and in the beautiful town of Domino, they were exceptionally so…right? Well, no. Not if the park is occupied by three ancient spirits who loath each other…

"Come and get him, if you are willing to face oblivion, cowards" Yami's deep voice threatened. He was at that moment shielding his hikari in a protective embrace, his tearful eyes buried in Yami's chest. Yugi had mistakenly thought he could take a walk round to the local shops to pick a few essentials up for his grandfather and ended up getting ambushed by the two most dangerous yamis in Domino. 

The pharaoh and his light stood across from the two intimidating figures that had set upon the little Motou. The taller of the two had unruly white hair and a pale complexion and was wearing tight jeans and a black roll neck and was currently scuffing the grass in an uninterested fashion. The other figure had sandy blond hair that was arranged in many spikes adorning his head, the large cloak he wore hid the rest of his body and he was also not listening to Yami, instead he was twirling his Millennium Rod in his hands.

"I think the pharaoh is trying to scare us, don't you think?" Bakura's ancient voice cooed sarcastically, the scuffing had ceased with a big pile of mud being slung at Yugi…which hit him in the back. The figure next to him chuckled, placed his robed hand on his hip, and lent forward slightly,

 "Yes, and I'm terrified…Ahahahaha!!!" Marik laughed hysterically, pointing his finger at Yugi, who was trying to brush the dirt from his coat.

"Silence!" Yami barked. He was getting irritated by the two's constant jibes and flippant natures, 

"Either go home or face the punishment!" he growled, shielding his hikari once again.

Marik stopped his laughing and straightened up again. He smirked and casually placed both his hands on the tomb robber's shoulder. Resting his head on Bakura, he smirked evilly;

"…make us…" 

Yami narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Please, Yami…can we just go?" Yugi pleaded. His yami was starting to scare him.

"Do not worry yourself, Aibou…I'll protect you." Yami stated softly, placing his hand on Yugi's cheek…

Yami turned to face the two delinquents again….

"I won't let you have him…or the puzzle…" 

Bakura grinned…..

…,,,***~***,,,…

The soft blue trainers made little noise as their wearer dashed down the roadside, desperately trying to reach his location before it was too late. Ryou had realised that Bakura was up to no good about fifteen minuets prior…when he was enjoying the white frosted doughnut he brought for himself.

The day's events had started normally…as normal as his started, anyway. Bakura had left the house in a foul mood again, saying something about Marik…he always went to Marik….as if he ever did anything without him. The two often stayed together over night, Ryou sometimes getting a hint of it through a sloppily maintained mental link. Some things he just didn't need to know…especially Marik's guide to whipped cream…

About fifteen minuets ago, he got a bad feeling…like he got when Bakura was about to beat him up for some reason…and that feeling is never good…so Ryou rushed off to find his yami, before he did anything bad.

Another ten minutes…still nothing. Ryou was getting tired, his feet were wet from running through too many puddles and his hair was being whipped about by the ever-increasing winds. The silver haired youth looked down the road several times each way, trying desperately to think of where Bakura might be. He let out a frustrated sigh and slumped his shoulders. 

He was just about to give up when he heard something coming up the road. A few more seconds confirmed it wasn't a car…but a motorbike. A few more and it was revealed as a yellow bike….

"Malik has a yellow bike…" Ryou whispered to himself. He craned his neck and stepped closer to the road to get a better view. His trademark yellow matching leathers confirmed it was the Egyptian renegade. Since laying eyes on the American super bikes, Malik decided to purchase one with his vast amounts of money, well, the vast amounts that Isis let him get too, anyway. Thinking that maybe he'd know something, Ryou tugged his jacket off and began waving it at the motorist. Ryou thought he wasn't getting anywhere and almost gave up when Malik screeched to a halt beside him, the smell of a hot engine enveloping his senses.

Malik pulled his yellow helmet off of his head and shook his sandy blond hair. Ryou hid a blush, hiding his face while he put his jacket back on.

"Why did you stop me….have you gotten lost?" Malik said sarcastically, noting that Ryou was blushing as he stammered to reply. Malik smirked.

"N-no, I….do you know where Marik is?"

Malik regarded his question for a moment, before checking his mirrors. Ryou stood for a moment and looked around. Finally he asked again,

"Malik...have you…."

"Yes, he's in the park with Bakura…picking on the pharaoh's little runt I do believe"

"Don't talk about Yugi like that!" Ryou said heatedly. The two looked at each other for a while…Ryou trying hard not to bite his lip while Malik stared at him with his bright lavender eyes….finally Malik sighed;

"I s'pose you want me to give you a lift to the park….hmmmm?" he stated, cocking one slender eyebrow and once again staring out Ryou. Panic stricken, Ryou looked around nervously;

"On that? I-I've never ridden one…."

Malik raised an eyebrow and then laughed at the disgruntled English boy. His laughing ceased however when he saw Ryou's face fall…damn, he was worried, wasn't he? Malik cleared his throat; 

"Sorry Ryou….it's easy. All you do is get on, hold on to me, relax and we're away. Just don't try and balance the bike for me or we'll both fall off, understand?"

"Err...Um, ok….so I just…hold on to you?" Ryou stammered. Malik nodded and replaced his helmet, Ryou climbing on behind him and thanking the sky he couldn't see his face…he was blushing like mad. He held loosely on the sides of the tanned Egyptian boy

"They're in the park…"

"Y-Yes"

"Ok, then. Hold on!"

Malik pulled off quickly, shifting up the gears rapidly causing Ryou to shift his grip to hold Malik round the middle and squeezing his eyes shut. Malik ignored this and continued to speed up the highway, towards the park, ignoring the raindrops that were threatening to remove all traction from the road.

…,,,***~***,,,…

"That was Anzu, she said she's seen Yugi in the park with Marik and Bakura, lets go Joey, they may need help" Tristan Taylor stated, he was in the town centre with Joey Wheeler, another classmate and friend of Yugi's. The two were somewhat reckless and would do anything necessary to protect their friends, especially Joey. He feels he has some kind of debt to re-pay Yugi after all he did to help him in Duellist Kingdom. The two took off into the now pouring rain, towards the park.

…,,,***~***,,,…

By the time Ryou and Malik arrived in the park, they were both soaking wet. Ryou was shacking like a leaf, half due to the rain, half due to the ride he had just had from Malik. He swore he'd never ride with him again. The Egyptian boy drove his bike to the central car park; he could see the yamis through the rain. He dismounted and put his yellow bike on its stand and grabbed the still traumatised Ryou by his sleeve, who was just swinging his leg over the bike, and tugged him towards the centre of the park.

All of the groups converged at once, Malik and Ryou approached from the bandstand, while Tristan and Joey met Anzu and approached from the kid's park.

The scene that greeted them was one of utter tension, each side not willing to make the first move. Yami knew that as soon as he moved to get his light out of the way, one of the other yamis would strike. And Bakura wasn't about to let the millennium puzzle slip though his fingers again…

"I grow tired of your pathetic façade, pharaoh….give up the puzzle!" Bakura growled, flicking a clump of white hair from his eyes, the rain had soaked him to the bone and he wasn't happy.

The tension mounted further as neither side moved an inch, the rain continued to come down in thick sheets. Bakura muttered something filthy in Egyptian and began to move towards Yami and his frightened hikari. Anzu let out a strangled scream and bolted off towards Yugi, clutched in Yami's arms.

Foolishly, she ran in front of Marik, who sneered and snatched at the back of her jacket and yanked her as roughly as he could towards him.

"Ha! Your foolish attempt got you far, didn't it, Anzu" Marik shouted in her face. Bakura stopped in his tracks…he could use this to his advantage,

"Now then, pharaoh, hand me the puzzle and little Anzu goes free…don't give it to me and…well, Marik's been edgy lately…." He poked his thumb towards the grinning Egyptian. 

Anzu struggled against Marik, but it was useless, the more she struggled, the tighter he gripped, twisting her collar until it bit into her neck.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Yugi screamed as he witnessed Anzu clutching at her neck, trying to relive the pressure that Marik was exerting on her. Yami growled, he would have to do something quick, now that Marik had Anzu little Yugi was panicking; he could feel him shaking against his body.

"I grow tired of this" Yami muttered. He quickly threw Yugi aside, out of harms way. The little hikari tried to scramble back to his dark, but Joey grabbed him from behind,

"Leave it, man, he knows what he's doin'!" he shouted through the rain and wind.

"What are you doing pharaoh? Are you forgetting something?" Marik jeered, shaking Anzu for emphasis, her strangled sobs barely audible over the weather.

"It's about time I banished you to the shadow realm, the both of you. You are a threat and a danger to the whole world…I think we can do without you…" Yami said calmly. Bakura growled and took a step back. Surely the pharaoh wouldn't risk the application of such powerful magic in the presence of those he holds dear? He looked over his shoulder and noticed for the first time his hikari, standing with Malik, getting soaked. No doubt trying to think of a way to stop us both, he smirked to himself.

Ryou noticed that Bakura was watching him and took a step forwards, but was stopped by Malik,

"Are you stupid?" he hissed, "leave them to it, we can pick up the pieces when they are done"

Ryou opened his mouth to protest but was cut short by his yami speaking to him through their link,

"Take one step closer, Ryou, and you will regret it, I'll make sure you have a bruise big enough to enter into an art competition, understand?"

Ryou whimpered and took a step back, averting his eyes to the ground.

"Stupid baka, he'll hurt himself…" Bakura thought.

Marik strolled up to stand next to his partner in crime, dragging the sobbing Anzu with him and folded his arms over his chest, the Millennium Rod clutched in his right hand, his left still wrapped around Anzu's jacket.

The tension in that moment became almost unbearable; both sides itched to move, to save Anzu, to stop Marik and Bakura, to help Yami, to kill Yami…

The rain poured, the wind howled, whipping up an icy barrage of pain that stung the eyes and skin of the bystanders. The Egyptian members' bronzed skin pimpled, not used to such weather, preferring sandstorms to storms of the wet kind.

"We have to do something!" Malik yelled over the raging torrent, "something bad is about to happen…I can feel it"

"I know! But didn't you just say to stand back?!" Ryou yelled. Malik glared at the sopping wet English boy for a moment before turning back,

"Yea, well I changed my mind, c'mon Ryou" Malik commanded.

The two boys had only walked a few paces when what seemed like a small apocalypse was let loose. Yami had let out an almighty yell and what seemed like a ghostly white light was slowly oozing from him millennium puzzle, snaking its way around the pharaoh,

"By Ra…he's actually gonna do it…you stupid fool!" Marik yelled, backing off slightly, still dragging Anzu with him. The two renegade yamis braced themselves as the light shot forwards at lightning speed…

Then a huge explosion occurred which made the bystanders shield their eyes and reel back a few paces. When they could face the duel again, everybody thought all was lost but an amazing site greeted them. The tomb robber and his delinquent in arms were fighting back with their own magic; the force of the conflicting sides was enough to form a bubble that the weather couldn't penetrate. Inside the bubble, Anzu was begging to panic, but when she tried to break free again she got a severe wrench from Marik. He obviously couldn't tell her to 'shut the fuck up' as he was so desperate to, so had to retort to threatening to snap her neck.

In the arms of Joey still, Yugi was also struggling. He could tell that Yami was loosing the battle, not even he could take the force of two millennium items being pitted against him, the beam of light was threatening to overwhelm him and send_ him_ to the shadow realm instead,

"Joey!! Let me go, please!! Yami needs my help!" he cried, the tears from his eyes were torn away from his face by the wind as if it echoed his grief, wanting to make his pain a part of the storm. Yugi's constant worming was proving difficult to deal with, especially when the boy's body was slippery from the rain. Joey called Tristan to help him but Yugi took advantage of the momentary concentration lapse and slipped free. Joey made a wild dive for him, but fell short; Yugi was already half way there;

"Give it up pharaoh, your losing" Bakura smirked, he knew they were going to win…Yami looked as though he would collapse at any minute. Marik gave a shrill laugh and gave one almighty mental shove. The two yamis broke the young pharaoh's strength and the now unblocked shadow magic hurtled towards the distraught Yami…

"No! Yami!!" Yugi squealed and threw him self in front of his beloved Yami, the shadow magic bouncing off of his Millennium Puzzle and changing direction chose another target…

"…Malik?...."

"Awwww….shit…." 

The entire group watched helplessly as the beam of deceptively innocent white light engulfed Malik and Ryou, their screams mingled with the howling wind, their forms twisted and disappeared as quickly as it had begun.

Bakura stood blinking the rain out of his eyes…what had happened to Ryou? He was dumbfounded for a moment…before turning to rage;

"You stupid idiot!! You knew shadow magic is dangerous…why did you use it!?" the tomb robber bellowed at Yami. But Yami wasn't listening; he was kneeling down, Yugi cradled in his arms,

"Aibou…what have I done?" he whispered. The force of the reflected magic was so powerful Yugi was left in a coma, the only signs of life were the small rise and fall of his chest, and his eyelids were closed to the world….maybe forever.

Joey walked over to Yami; he couldn't believe his eyes,

"It's all your fault!! If you hadn't tried to assault Yugi in the first place, we wouldn't have lost our friends!" he spat towards Marik and Bakura.

"Bollocks…the stupid pharaoh didn't have to use shadow magic that powerful, it's his thick headed pride that lost us our hikaris!" Bakura raged back. Marik snorted and realised he still had Anzu. Glaring down at her he was about to vent his anger upon his victim when Yami snapped his head up,

"You dare…give her back…haven't you done enough?" he stated, his eyes narrowing into deadly slits. Marik growled and threw Anzu to the floor, her body making a squelching sound as she hit the muddy grass,

"Fine…have her back…she was making me feel sick anyway" he said in a deathly whisper as he watched the pathetic wretch scramble over to Tristan, who helped her up.

"C'mon Marik…lets go…we need to get our hikaris back…somehow" he virtually spat the word towards Yami. Grabbing Marik by the sleeve Bakura began to lead them away from the small clearing;

"Why didn't you just let me kill that damned pharaoh there…" Marik growled, bringing the Millennium Rod up and changing its end into a dagger for emphasis. Bakura shook his head, he knew full well if they couldn't get their lights back, the stupid pharaoh would be their best bet to retrieve them. Marik looked up from his swearing and spotted a familiar site…

"Ah well, at least we don't have to walk home" Marik stated, nodding towards Malik's yellow sport bike.

"Do you know how to drive it?" he asked Bakura, who nodded, he'd seen Malik ride it and when he wasn't looking at the boy himself, he was figuring out how to use the gears and such. Marik knew that his hikari kept a spare key fastened just under the bodywork and snapped it off its restraints. Taking one more look behind him at the pathetic posse, he clambered on the back behind Bakura and wrapped his arms around him.

"No distractions please" Bakura said,

"Hmph"


	2. Where in Thoth's name are we?

**Author Notes: **

TM: Whoohooo! Now it's my turn to write *rubs hands together gleefully*

LB: grrrr.....you get first honours on Malik and Ryou......*becomes wreathed in flames*

TM: Eeep *hides behind Celtic Guardian card* Take her down Cannon Fodder!****

CG: *whimpers*

LB: *glares*....heeere boy! *crouches down*

CG: *eyes light up*...ok!

TM: Bah! Damn fickle elf! But he's so kawaii! Oh well, I still have my Gaia the Dragon Champion *huggles card*

LB+CG: …*sweat drop*

TM: *holds shiney cool Japanese card aloft* Right! Read fic and enjoy…or my dragon champion will eat you up!

LB: And remember to R&R

TM: You know, I really did think that that meant Rest and Relaxation

LB: …..on with the fic

**Disclaimer: **Neither The Muffin nor Lightning Baron own Bakura, Ryou, Malik, Marik or indeed anything to do with Yugioh…well they do own some cards and Lightning Baron does own a plushie but that's beside the point.

**Chapter 2** by The Muffin

The smell of mixed spices enveloped Ryou's senses, lulling him from the midst of his frayed consciousness. Ryou slowly opened one eye and blinked absently as he waited for his vision to focus. Blue sky hanging over a peaceful green park… at least that's what he was expecting to see. 

Ryou sat up with a start and frantically looked around him. No yamis, no Yugi, no green grass, just sand coloured stone walls looming up on either side of him. It only took Ryou a few panic stricken moments to realise that he wasn't trapped in some prison, but merely lying slightly bruised in some narrow alleyway. Despite that making little more sense, the dark-eyed boy was much relieved that it was the latter. His shambolic memory tried desperately to piece together those last few moments before he found himself lying on the ground in this unfamiliar passageway. Lying on the ground with the inert body of Malik Ishtar sprawled peacefully across his legs. 

Ryou let out a high-pitched yelp as he felt his cheeks begin to redden and scurried out from beneath the unconscious boy. This of course resulted in Malik receiving a rather unpleasant wake up call. The startled, white-haired youth continued to back up until he was against the wall then clutched his hands tightly over his mouth to smother any more absurd noises. 

"What in Thoth's name…" Malik muttered as he sat up and rubbed his recently scraped chin with the back of an auburn hand. He looked over to the still shaken Ryou, backed up against the wall, his hands clasped tightly over his mouth. Malik could see the thin line of red creeping over the tops of Ryou's fingers betraying the feelings that the timid boy was unsuccessfully trying to conceal.    

"What's wrong with you?" he grinned with a knowing gleam in his lavender eyes.

"Oh! Er…I...nothing. Nothing, Malik, really." Ryou stammered trying even harder to hide the crimson cheeks behind his hands. "Y…you just startled me."

"Pity…" Malik teased as he stood up and brushed the dirt off of his tight-fitting trousers. Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing and looked around, a perplexed expression creeping over his bronzed features. 

"Where are we?" the young Egyptian demanded as he looked back at his acquaintance who, after feeling certain that the red of his cheeks had finally dissipated, scrambled hastily to his feet.

"I haven't the foggiest…" Ryou admitted helplessly. "The last thing I remember is… Oh! Our yamis were fighting!" 

Malik and Ryou looked around but, as they had expected, their yamis were nowhere to be seen.

…,,,***~***,,,…

Back at the park, things had gotten hectic. The rain had finally subsided leaving the once pleasant park almost bog-like. The recent confrontation between the ancient powers had inevitably attracted the attention of a few teenage delinquents eager to know what that bright flash of light was. It took all of Joey's energy just to fend off the probing eyes of strangers eager to get a closer look at the small, unconscious form of the Motou boy cradled in the arms of…himself?! No…his brother maybe…

Near to the two boys, Anzu was a pathetic site…well more so than usual. Sniffling and mud covered, she leaned against Tristin for 'emotional support'. The occasional "friendship..." could be heard emanating from her hysterical lips as her feeble mind tried in vain to fully grasp the complexities of what had just happened.

Joey shoved one particularly meddlesome teenager out the way and turned sharply to Yami. 

"Hey! Don't just sit there! We gotta get Yug to the hospital!"

Yami glanced back at Joey with a blank expression on his face for a few seconds then nodded understandingly. He had been to the hospital before with Yugi when he went to visit Ryou after he fell down the stairs. His story may have satisfied the naive little hikari but not the worldly pharaoh. Those bruises had 'Tomb Robber' written all over them. He looked down at the hardly moving chest of the sleeping youth and felt the burning hot tears begin to form in his eyes. How could Bakura not care for his hikari? Wasn't the bond that connected them the same as his with Yugi? The pharaoh scooped the child up into his arms, his face fixed into a mask of determination. Now was not the time to think of such trivial ideas. The only thing that mattered was the safety of his abiou.  

"Tristin!" he called, his commanding composure present once more "Grab Anzu and let's get out of here!"

Tristin went to point out that he was already holding Anzu, much to his delight, but after seeing the fierce look in the ancient spirit's eyes thought better of it. 

"Joey! Cover us!"

"I'll meet you there!" the blond haired street punk replied.

With that the three teens and the spirit rushed as fast as they could to Domino Hospital on the other side of town. 

One bystander watched the teens stumble across the muddy field wondering why they hadn't just used the pay phone that stood only five yards away.  

…,,,***~***,,,…

Malik was still leaning against the wall staring fixatedly into space; his face set into a mask of deep concentration. Upon realising that they had been separated from their yamis, the small Egyptian had immediately tried to establish a mind link with Marik but to no avail. After seeing Malik's expression waver after the fourth or fifth attempt, Ryou had decided to try to establish a link with his own dark. The snowy haired boy attempted again and again to pick up the thoughts of his yami but no matter how hard he tried, all trace of the ancient tomb robber was gone. Ryou had dreamed of this day since he had first received his Millennium Ring, the day that his mind would be liberated from the cruel, mocking presence of his dark. Ryou had dreamed that this day would bring freedom and relief to his long tormented soul. Ryou was surprised when that day finally did come, after so much dreaming and expectation, the absence of his long time companion would leave him feeling anxious and vulnerable. Sure Bakura has his faults but don't we all? Ryou certainly could live without the unprovoked beatings; Bakura's madman's dream of world domination could be more than a little distracting at times and his unwillingness to help out with the household chores drove the well mannered boy to despair. But what the yami did bring, unknowingly to the both of them until now, was companionship. 

"Well, it looks like we are on our own." Malik muttered "What fun." 

Ryou decided to ignore the thick coating of cynicism that accompanied the last remark and instead watched idly as Malik stood up straight and began examining the surroundings more closely. As the small, blond-haired youth looked up and down the alley, he could not shake off an uncanny feeling of familiarity. The sandstone walls, the empty sacks and barrels, the dirt of the uncovered path floating transparently in the air from being kicked up with every step. All of these bought with them a feint sense of awareness.

The sudden babble of alien voices startled the two boys into rigid silence.  

Malik's ears pricked as the strange sounds reformed into sensical phrases within his golden mind.  

"It can't be..." Malik whispered to himself as he ran over to the end of the alley and poked his head out from behind the wall making sure to keep himself masked within the shadows.

"I don't believe it!" Malik exclaimed after a few moments of examination. "I don't know how but we're in Cairo!"

"Cairo?! But that's in Egypt! Are you sure?"

"No, of course I'm not sure." Malik's voice dripped with sarcasm "I was only born here." 

Ryou ran over to Malik and poked his head over the bronzed shoulder of his smaller companion. He was used to brushing insults aside. He did have to deal with Bakura 24/7 after all.

The scene before the two boys was one of constant activity. Rows upon rows of small stools harboring their wears lined the sides of the sand coloured street, the many vendors filing the air with empty promises disguised within exotic voices as they haggled and argued with prospective customers. Spices, fruits, jewelry, wheat and even animals were among the items of trade. Dotted between the stools, groups of people converged around scantily clad performers swallowing flames and charming snakes in return for respect and profits. 

One market stool in particular attracted Ryou's interest. Rows of bright coloured silks and tapestries patterned the stool with a forest of purples, blues and yellows. Framming the fabrics on tall poles either side of the stool hung assortments of clothing ranging from ordinary white cloths that were being worn by the majority of the people bustling around, to elegant golden-lined red cloaks that sparkled and glistened in the hot sun. A streamlined black cat regarded the two onlookers from its basking spot atop of some rather extravagant tapestries. Its keen, luminous golden eyes fixed on them unblinking then, having lost interest, it lay its head back down and continued to doze undisturbed amongst the woven finery. Clothes had always held a keen interest with the fair skinned boy; an interest started by the elegant wedding kimono passed down to him from his grandfather shortly before he passed away. Of course Bakura mocked him constantly for it but Ryou had eventually learned to disregard the tomb robber's snide comments as little more than the rantings of an outdated rogue. Drawn in by the exotic and inviting colours, Ryou stepped out into the bustling street to take a closer look but a surprisingly strong hand grabbed Ryou's arm and pulled him back into the shadow of the alley. 

"Don't be an idiot." hissed Malik, "Something's not right. This isn't my home…"

"What makes you so sure?" 

Malik placed his hands either side of Ryou's face. The pale boy jumped with a start at the shorter boy's sudden bold actions. Ryou's heart and mind raced. What was Malik doing? He can't be doing what he thought he was doing could he? Here?! Now?! Before Ryou could push Malik away, not that he could anyway, his fellow hikari may have been small but he was surprisingly strong, the Egyptian swirled Ryou around to the entrance of the alley and roughly pointed Ryou's vision in the direction of a tall triangular structure looming above the tops of the sand coloured buildings; one of Egypt's royal trademarks. Ryou was surprised that he had missed the remarkable construction the first time. The height of it was impressive enough on its own yet this was amateur craftsmanship compared to the other details of the sandstone creation. Ryou's eyes took in the edges of stone that had been painfully sharpened to angled perfection, framing the glow of the sun as it reflected lavishly off of the smooth wind polished surface. 

"Call me paranoid but the last time I checked Pyramids were somewhat dilapidated." 

"Something's certainly not right with that..." Ryou agreed helplessly. Why couldn't he just wake up now? 

…,,,***~***,,,…

"That stupid hikari!" Bakura roared kicking over the tall lamp that crashed to the floor spraying glistening shards of glass across the worn down carpet. He was not in high spirits to say the least. Upon arriving back at Ryou's house, the two yamis had headed straight up to the boy's humble bedroom and had begun to disrespectfully empty out the entire contents of his carefully arranged desks and drawers. Bakura had remembered how, every now and then, Ryou would take to shutting himself in his room under the guise of doing 'homework' and surround himself with his father's research notes and books on Ancient Egypt and pore over them into the early hours of the next morning searching for something, anything, that may help unlock some secret to Yami's past. Bakura knew what his timid light was up to. It is not easy to hide anything of value from a well-experienced thief, especially when that thing was information regarding the Millennium Items and said thief was Bakura. However, he had allowed the boy to continue undisturbed in his quest to help out the bothersome Yugi gang and that poncey pharaoh. Instead, the cunning yami would watch his hikari's progress unnoticed from the shadows until something of value came up and then he would take it for himself…by force if necessary. It didn't take long for the ancient tomb robber to find the carefully hidden spiral ring folder in a secret compartment beneath Ryou's underwear drawer. There must be something in here that could shed some light onto the whereabouts of their hikaris. 

One spiral folder later and Bakura was disappointed at the results…but not as disappointed as Marik. Every drawer, desk and box searched and not one dirty magazine. Weekly game mags, self-confidence manuals and homework guides yes, but even one page 3 clipping? Not in this region. Marik sprawled out on the bed in a bored manner and twirled the Millennium rod about his fingers as he watched Bakura pace up and down the room, knocking random objects off of shelves which then plummeted to their destruction with clatters and clashes.  

"If that troublesome little brat had just minded his own business then we wouldn't be in this mess!" Bakura ranted on breathlessly "I swear, the moment I get him back I'm going to lock him into his soul room until he begs to be allowed to stay under my control!" As if to emphasise his point, the fuming tomb robber grabbed a nearby stuffed bear, a souvenir Ryou received from his father during one of his brief returns to Japan, and unceremoniously began to wring its scrawny little neck. "He'll never be free from me!"

"Careful Bakura." Marik chided mockingly "You are starting to sound like you actually care for the boy." 

Bakura turned on his fellow yami, a look of disgust fixed upon his dishevelled countenance "Baka no hentai! You know as well as I do that without those hikaris we are screwed! All it takes is for one brainless decision, a decision which will more than likely be made with the likes of those two, and we'll have Ptah sizing up our carcasses in no time! And besides, what would I want with a boring little no-spined hermit whose idea of 'walking the wild side' is throwing jelly beans at little children while their backs are turned?!" 

Marik raised a bewildered eyebrow at this remark and stared at Bakura disbelievingly.

"Oh he does it alright!" Bakura insisted heatedly "He thinks that no ones watching but he can't hide anything from me!"

Marik chuckled "I'll admit he isn't exactly the life of the party." The spiky haired Egyptian had the sudden urge to annoy and Bakura was always good for a laugh. 

"One of the most boring people I've ever had the misfortune to meet." Bakura spat as he slumped down on the floor and folded his arms like a pouting five year old.

"He's very sensitive though" Marik continued seemingly ignoring his companion's hostile remark. 

"A total wimp!"

"And very polite."

"A bloody nance!"

"And self sacrificing."

"A push over more like!"

"And totally fuckable."

"Ra is he fucka…what!? No! No no no!"

Marik's face split into his patented madman grin as he poked his now flustered counter part in the ribs with the handle of his rod.

"Hah! I knew it!" Marik exclaimed excitedly "Grave robber to cradle snatcher; you've had your greedy little eyes on Ryou since the first moment you took on solid form!"

Bakura went to protest but Marik leaned closer and pressed the top of his Millenium Rod against his companion's lips. 

"Can't say that I'm surprised." the dark Egyptian admitted "A narcissist like you!"

Bakura pushed away the golden rod angrily "Don't be ridicu.."

Marik planted his lips over Bakura's protesting mouth, silencing any comprehensible word that dared to be emitted. This kiss was anything other than romantic but then again nothing between these two lust birds was. It's a good thing that yamis don't need to breathe otherwise there may have been trouble. Finally, Marik pulled himself away from the frenzied embrace leaving them both panting heavily  

"Just make sure I stay at the top of your to do list"

Bakura could see that further protesting was pointless. Marik had made up his mind and it would take the now pride stricken tomb robber a further one thousand years to convince him otherwise. As usual, Marik's conclusion was rushed and totally inconceivable. He, the renowned trickster of the Nile, the scourge of the dead, the stealer of souls, the bane of the 'great' pharaoh… in love with a timid adolescent who cant even take a shower without turning red?…that stutter is kind of a turn on though …or was. The thought suddenly hit Bakura like a slab of ice. He would never see his timorous hikari again. Bakura shook his head free of such frivolous thoughts. He couldn't go soft now! The Millennium Puzzle had once again evaded Bakura's clutches and once again it was that damn hikari's fault! … still, that hesitant smile was awfully alluring… Bakura shot up and stomped downstairs into the kitchen. 

"Marik!" he bawled as he forced the fridge door open and grabbed himself a half bottle of Sake left over from his last trip to this kitchen a couple of nights prior. "Marik!" 

The lack of reply left the white haired thief puzzled until a momentary gleam of golden light from outside drew his attention to the window. There the Egyptian in question was, standing sombrely beside the yellow Ninja, his gaze transfixed upon the orphaned vehicle. Could he be…?

"Damn it!" Bakura sneered. Marik was missing the little after hour sessions with his toy no doubt. The disgruntled tomb robber put down the bottle and made his way to the side of the distracted yami.

"Are you going to stand there all day gazing into space like a complete moron or are you going to help me find a way to get those blasted hikaris back?"

Marik turned and stared suspiciously at Bakura. This was unexpected to say the least… 

Bakura returned the look with a wry smile "It's not that I care for the little cry baby or anything." He stated matter-of-factly "I just have a lot of pent up frustration to vent which can only be released with the aid of an ever submissive hikari."

Marik mulled over the sentence with an apathetic look on his face. After a few moments deliberation, the sandy haired scourge shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

"Why not?" he mused putting on his most uncaring voice "I never did get to try out that new trick I had planned for Malik…"

Bakura turned not even bothering to ask. He knew all too well what Marik's 'tricks' involved and now wasn't the time to be distracted. His calculating mind needed to focus on the different…though not entirely unrelated… task at hand.

…,,,***~***,,,…

"As crazy as this sounds…" Malik continued thoughtfully "The only possible explanation for where we are is Ancient Egypt…Ancient Cairo to be exact."

Ryou nodded. "Yes, and we must have been sent here when we were struck by the force of the combined Millennium Items."

Malik shuddered at the returning memory. That feeling of being torn from his physical form is not one he cared to remember too quickly.  

"If only we could get to my house." Ryou sighed frustratedly 

"What good would that do?"

"Well if indeed this **is** Ancient Egypt, then I have years worth of notes on this time period passed down by my father and added to by myself. There **must** be something in there that could help us." Ryou saw Malik's look of uncertainty and decided to elaborate "It was a favour to Yugi and Yami…you know, for all they've done for me. I promised that I would do anything within my power to help them unlock the truth about Yami's past."

"And Bakura let you do that?" 

"Bakura doesn't know!" Ryou beamed. He looked genuinely proud of himself. "I've made sure of that. And, if by some unlikely chance, Bakura did find out what I was up to, I hid all my work in a place that not even Bakura would dare to look." 

"You mean the secret compartment in your underwear drawer that can only be opened by pressing certain pressure points?"

Ryou's eyes widened in horror as he stared at the clued-up Egyptian boy grinning across from him.

"H…How…How did you know that?!"

"He already found it." Malik explained simply. 

"He did?!" Ryou was dumbfounded and also slightly embarrassed. "When?!"

"A few months ago. He was talking about it with Marik once. So, you're a boxers boy, huh?" Malik grinned cheekily at the distraught 'Master of Concealment' "Can't say Marik was too impressed about loosing that bet." 

Ryou turned his mortified back on Malik. Bakura knew this whole time? He felt like such a fool for ever believing that he could hide anything concerning the Millenium Items from an experienced thief like Bakura. But more importantly that would mean that both Bakura and Marik have seen his underwear. The blush, now creeping its way relentlessly across his snowy skin, threatened to consume the timid boy as Malik's manic chuckling surrounded him. Malik, having had his fun, wiped a tear from his overjoyed face and then put a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ryou" he said still trying to fight back his hysteria, "…though to be honest I think it was just wishful thinking on Marik's part. As much as the thought amuses me, I couldn't really see you in one of those skimpy little thongs."

"That's enough already, pervert!" Ryou cut Malik off with a growl. He disliked this feeling of vulnerability he got from Malik knowing his preferred underwear. It made him feel…naked. Malik backed away and held his hands up innocently. 

"Hey, it wasn't me who defiled your place of sanctum." 

Ryou sighed. "Yes…you have a point…I'm sorry, Malik."

After an uncomfortably and seemingly endless moment of silence, Malik cleared his throat. "Well it's no use thinking about that now." the now serious bronze skinned boy rationalised. "We'll just have to make do with my knowledge." 

Ryou reluctantly agreed. He was now at the mercy of Malik…but it could be worse…right? 


	3. Of Slaves and Mystics and dirty yamis

**Author Notes:**

**LB: **YES! My go with the boys...nyuck nyuck..oh, by the way...spiffing Anzu bashing, old boy, well done *pats the Muffin on the back*

**TM:** *twitches* Anzu… *twitches* ARGH!! Get away from my Ryou!! *dives onto Anzu effigy and starts ripping it to shreds*

**LB:**.....*drags The Muffin away by the shirt collar*

**TM:** Nooo! *gnashes teeth frantically* Must…destroy…Friendship Whore!

**LB:**....oh dear....*snaps fingers* 

cardboard cut-out of a topless dark magician is wheeled in 

**TM: **Eeeeeeeee!!! *pounces on the cardboard cut-out and cuddles it* Purr purr

**LB: **that worked...wha---at?****

**Celtic Guardian:**....where did you get that?****

**LB: ***glares* none of your business!

**CG+DM:** Eeep! *hide back in Muffin's deck*

**TM:** *carries on purring*

**LB: **hmph..*holds up a sign*****

**disclaimer:** neither of us own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. They are owned by the uber cool Japanese guy who created them

**TM:** Purr purr purr ^^.

**LB: **i give up..*wanders off*

**TM: ***blinks* Erm...on with the fic! *huggles Dark Magician cut-out*

Chapter 3 by Lightning Barron 

It was dark. It was unmistakably in the early hours of the morning, nothing stirred outside save the wind and the odd shower, no living thing was awake at that hour of the morning, not even the song birds were thinking of beginning there day yet. But in Ryou Bakura's house, things were anything but quiet.

"If you think your so damned good, why don't you find the answer to this problem?!" Bakura screamed at his sidekick, throwing one of Ryou's notebooks at him for added effect. Marik had made some off-hand remark about Bakura being useless at trying to find solutions to their problems, reminding him of the time that he couldn't even turn Ryou's computer on to look up hentai for him. Marik dodged the book easily, leaning up against the wall of the living room, which enraged Bakura even more. He proceeded to storm about the dimly lit room, swearing and threatening death to all those stupid enough to cross him ever again. Marik sighed; he wanted to go to sleep. He had gotten bored of the little things he had found to amuse himself, such as playing Ryou's computer and ordering an X-rated movie from the satellite station. However Bakura had refused point blank to even consider the possibility until they had gotten somewhere with trying to recover their hikaris. But they had spent all night on it and still nothing. He watched as Bakura continued to rage about the room, kicking the already gravely abused sofa and the chairs and cursing in ancient Egyptian in a voice that made Marik wince…although, not in a bad way…

"Bakura…we obviously aren't going to find the solution tonight, can't we just give it a rest? We can try again tomorrow…do you want the neighbours complaining?" he said, yawning between every other word. Yami's still needed their sleep, and Marik was particularly fond of his.

"Fuck the neighbours" came the heated reply, "did you hear me?! I said fuck the neighbours!!" Bakura raged, banging his fists on the wall. Marik sauntered over to him and caught the flying fists, pulling the tomb robber round and slamming him into the wall behind him,

"Quit it….I wanna go to sleep…I'm tired" Marik stated in Bakura's face, watching his pale features soften from their rage induced frown. The two stared each other in the face for a while until Bakura went limp and sighed, 

"Ok, have it your way…we'll go to sleep. But in the morning, were going round to that damned….." his rambling voice was silenced by Marik's warm lips, forcing themselves onto his. Bakura groaned and protested, but Marik wasn't letting up. Eventually, Bakura managed to slip out from beneath him; grabbing the front of his cloak he threw the bewildered yami onto the sofa and leaped cat-like on top of him. Drawing himself up until their noses were almost touching, he pinned him down further;

"Ok, we'll go to bed….." he growled. Marik grinned, reaching for the remote and keying in the ordered film and turning the volume up loud. The neighbours_ will_ be fucked, he thought.

…,,,***~***,,,…

Malik and his white haired companion were now sitting in the alleyway trying to think of ways to 'blend in'. But all of the ways so far had all came to the same dead end. Money….they couldn't buy anything to help disguise them because they didn't have any of the local currency…whatever that was at this time in history.

"I hate to suggest this…but the only logical thing we can do is trade something in for money" Ryou mused in the shade of the ally…he never liked the heat, it burnt his delicate skin and made him turn pink, inviting comments such as pink and white candy floss boy.

"Like what…what can we trade?" asked the ever-flustered Malik. He was different from Ryou in that he was born in a hot climate, and found the days weather quite mild, although he swore that Ryou was making him hotter by having to watch him fan himself with his hand constantly.

"Take your jacket off Ryou, it might help" he said sarcastically. Ryou blushed and mumbled an apology as he took his cream cord jacket off, now only slightly damp from the downpour that was going to occur in about five thousand and one years. Ryou set it down beside him and suddenly had a thought…their jackets….

"Malik, we could trade our jackets in…they might offer us a lot of money for them, being of foreign materials an all" he suggested,

"What?! Sell this?! Do you know how much it cost to have matching leathers made to your _exact_ requirements?!" the blond Egyptian boy yelled. Ryou shook his head. Malik cocked his head in an 'exactly' manor.

"..b-but…it might be our only option. If you sell your leathers and my jacket, we might get enough money to buy our disguises…and ill bet they have never seen yellow cows before" the pale boy pressured, nodding towards the coloured parts of Malik's jacket. Malik scoffed and folded his arms to match his legs. He looked over at Ryou, who was staring at him with those adorable chocolaty eyes, pleading with him to give in.

"Gahhh…." 

Approximately fifteen minuets later, Malik was wandering around the bustling Egyptian market looking for some clothes to buy with his traded in money. He was by himself, as he figured that Ryou's pale complexion would stand out a bit in amongst the raven haired Egyptians. He was pushing his luck with his platinum blond locks, but at least he had tanned skin. He continued to move through the crowds, picking up bits of random conversations. He had devised a plan that he would try to pas himself off as a rich kid and Ryou as his 'out of town' slave. After all, who would believe that Ryou was from Egypt…He wandered about a bit more before finally coming to rest on a stall with all kinds of clothes ranging from white linen to colourful embroidered cloaks. He smiled to himself,

"Perfect" 

"W-what?!" Ryou exclaimed as he eyed his outfit. It consisted of a single white linen skirt, a pair of leather sandals and a collar with a rope attached to it.

"I-I can't, my skin will burn!" Ryou whimpered in an attempt to come up with a better excuse than 'I'm too shy to wear it' Malik growled at him. Ryou looked at Malik, then at his clothes, then back at Malik. 

"Oh…alright, if I have to…." He sulked off to change in privacy…behind an abandoned trades cart at the end of the alleyway. Malik snickered to himself, Ryou's gonna look so cute in that little number. He failed to tell Ryou that he had bought him a shawl as well to keep the sun off of him. He'd bring that up when he'd finished looking at him. Malik sighed and started to undress, having no such shyness problems. He'd brought himself a white tunic that had a plunging neck and did up at the waist with a plaited gold rope and a huge blue robe with a pair of leather sandals. He was just in the midst of tying up his tunic when he spotted Ryou creeping up the ally, trying to stay in the shadows, either to stay out of the sun or to try and conceal his bare body. Malik let out a soft chuckle,

"What's the matter, Ryou?" he laughed. Ryou looked at him and frowned,

"Its okay for you, you have a robe! I'm…well, I'm….naked!" he cried, creeping closer.

Malik continued laughing, 

"Naked? That's not naked, _this _is naked!" Malik announced and promptly opened up the front of his tunic. Ryou let out a little yelp and covered his eyes, blushing madly,

"Malik…how could you!?" he whimpered. Malik's laughing had amounted into a roaring guffaw as he doubled over, clutching his sides,

"Y-you…silly….Ahahahaha...I'm still wearing….my underwear…Ahahahaha!!" he managed to get out between breaths. Ryou cracked his fingers open and saw that he was indeed still wearing a pair of black boxer shorts,

"You didn't think I would really go commando, do you? I happen to like my underwear….. I hope you still have yours on….." Malik asked, raising an eyebrow at little Ryou. Ryou nodded quickly as Malik tied his tunic up again. 

"Good" he replied. Malik picked up the last remaining piece of clothing that was left. The collar. He held it out to the bewildered Ryou, who took it and examined it. Finally he loosened it off and slipped it over his head, pulling all of his soft white hair from underneath it and letting it flutter down along his back again. Malik looked on with a funny feeling in his tummy. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, what was Ryou doing to him? Was he…

"No…" he said aloud, catching the attention of Ryou,

"Hmmm? Did you say something?"

"Ahh…nothing…just, thinking aloud" Malik replied quickly holding his hands up. Ryou nodded and went back to fastening the collar around his neck. Finally, he succeeded and turned to face Malik,

"I'm not…too exposed…am I?" he asked, holding his arms out. Malik shook his head.

"You look fine….slave" he grinned as he said the last word. Ryou blushed for must be the hundredth time that day and looked at his feet. 

Malik chuckled, "c'mon, let's get going, we have to find a way out of this….somehow…"

Malik grabbed the piece of rope attached to Ryou's collar and dragged him out the ally. 

Both boys tried anxiously to blend in and act normal, trying desperately not bump into anyone or do anything out of the ordinary. Malik instructed Ryou that he should walk with his head hung and slightly shuffley, to make it look like he was slightly afraid of his master. As for himself, he decided not to act too aloof as this may get him in even more trouble, if anyone asked, he was from outside Egypt and Ryou was from a far away land called 'Japan'.

They had been walking around for the best part of an hour and they still hadn't learnt anything. Malik was even asking a few of the stall holders for bits of information. They either stared at them funny or tried selling them something for a ridiculous price. Finally, Ryou had dragged them both into another ally way stemming off from the market place for a rest.

"My skin is on fire…we haven't found anything! All we have for our hours wandering is burnt skin and a developing reputation for being weirdo's…" Ryou whined, planting himself on the floor in the shade. Malik sighed and was about to drag the disgruntled boy back to his feet again when he heard hushed voices at the end of the ally way. He crouched down next to Ryou, still clutching his arm and listened.

"Malik, what is…oop" Ryou was silenced by Malik's hand clamping over his mouth and a sharp hiss. The voices were speaking in hurried Egyptian, there were three, one quite high, but defiantly a man's voice, one a mid tone and a deep voice. Two of them sounded like they were disagreeing on something and the third was intercepting here and there. Finally, a metallic sound was heard and hurried footsteps lead away from where they were sitting. Malik and Ryou stood up and craned their necks to see if they could get a glimpse at the owners to the voices. Ryou was just about to take a step forwards when he was again stopped by Malik's arm,

"What...uhoh..." the two boys froze as a largely built figure rounded the corner at the end of the ally and began to walk towards them. Malik swore softly under his breath and shoved Ryou behind him,

"Quiet Ryou," he hissed, "that's a royal guard, one of the pharaoh's…we're in trouble if he catches us" Malik heard Ryou gasp softly and step closer to him. The guard spotted the two boys and began to walk towards them; his imposing figure seemed to grow bigger as he finally towered over them. He said something hasty in what Ryou figured must have been Egyptian. He shrank even closer to Malik. Silence followed and Ryou though that they were done for when suddenly Malik began replying in the guards native tongue;

"Ahhhhh…erm, were just taking refuge in the shade for a while…the noonday sun is quite hot" he gestured to the market place. The guard eyed Ryou suspiciously. Malik caught on and wrapped his arm around Ryou's shoulder and pulled the bewildered boy close to him,

"My flaxen slave here is a real beauty don't you think?" Malik said in his most alluring voice and winked, burying his nose in Ryou's hair for added effect. Ryou was left blushing like mad as Malik hissed in his ear,

"Play along…." This was easier said than done as he didn't have a clue what Malik was saying. So he just smiled shyly and pressed himself closer to Malik's chest. Malik looked back up at the guard and arched his eyebrows. The giant guard muttered something and pushed his way past the boys out into the market. Ryou stepped back from Malik and looked at the tanned boy, who was scowling at the ally's exit,

"I am _not _queer…" he mumbled.

"Malik, what did you tell him?" Ryou asked nervously. Malik turned away from his scowling and regarded Ryou,

"I told him you was my slave…he didn't seem to like it all that much" Ryou looked at the floor. That was an unexpected thing for Malik to do, how was he to know what he was saying to the guard. But he was awfully…soft, and he smelt nice too, a kind of…

Ryou was wrenched from his fantasising as Malik took his arm and began to lead him to where the guard came from.

"What are you doing? Why are we going down here, the markets the other way!" Ryou protested, but Malik kept dragging him;

"There was something odd about that conversation…I'm sure I heard something about the pharaoh and a bribe…I dunno, but it's the best thing I've heard all day so were going to see if we can catch them up"  he justified.

The two boys ran down many alleys and turns before finally coming out in the open. The site that greeted them took Ryou's breath away. Standing before them was a vast palace, surrounded by a high wall that was patrolled by many soldiers. Beyond the wall and before the palace stood a huge statue of the current pharaoh, it towered above and kept guard over the tall entrance. But there was no sign of their pursuit.  Ryou studied this statue before gasping;

"Great scott! Do you know who that is? Its Yami!" he said, pointing at the statue. Malik squinted and tilted his head to one side;

"…oh yeah…."

"Oh dear more like…"

The boys continued to stare until the guards started to make them feel nervous, so they retreated back into the ally where they had came from and sat down.

"Great…were stuck in ancient Egypt, in pharaoh Yami's reign no less, and we haven't a clue how to get home" Malik sulked, planting his head in the palm of his hand and resting it on his knee. Ryou played with his rope, winding it around his fingers and tugging on it occasionally;

"So…we may be stuck here forever…well never see our friends again…my father will be digging his own son up in about five thousand years" Ryou exclaimed. Malik leant against the wall behind him and shut his eyes. He would never see his sister again, Rashid…they were all gone.

Malik and Ryou sat in the ally until the sun began to set on their day in the past, the sun casting orangey hues through the ally way, the air began to get chilly in the absence of the celestial object. Malik looked up as Ryou shivered, trying desperately to warm himself up with his hands. Malik remembered the shawl he had in the small sack bag that was sitting next to him. But that wouldn't help the shivering wreak now, it was only meant to keep the sun off of you. A sudden pang of guilt surged through Marik. It was his fault. He chose the outfit for his 'slave'…and now he was shivering and cold across from him. Sighing, he climbed up and walked slowly towards him;

"Ryou? Are you okay?" Malik asked softly. The white haired boy looked up at him and smiled through chattering teeth;

"Fine…a little…c-cold" he stammered. Malik sat himself next to Ryou and patted the ground next to him. Ryou looked at Malik smiling at him, confusion registering over his pale features.

"C'mon…you'll get cold, we'll share the cloak…it's huge after all" he said warmly. Ryou nodded and shuffled himself close to Malik as he put his arm around Ryou's shoulder and wrapped the cloak around him.

"Can't have my slave catching a cold, can we?" he chuckled as Ryou curled up against Malik;

"…Thank you…" he whispered and shut his eyes.

…,,,***~***,,,…

Malik woke up the next morning with a yawn. Stretching his arms out in front of him he realised Ryou was still asleep, curled up with his head resting on the Egyptian boys lap, his breathing soft as he slumbered on. Malik smiled and placed his hand on the snowy white head and stroked it gently, missing the soft whispers that sounded like 'Bakura' emitting from the little angel's lips. Ever since they had met yesterday (or in five millennium) he had a growing feeling of warmth towards the shy English boy. They way he stumbled over his words and hid his face when he blushed were all so adorable he couldn't help but get attached. The sleeping figure stirred slightly, seeming to draw closer to Malik's caressing touch. A small stretch and a squeak showed that the small boy was finally awakening from his slumber. Malik quickly withdrew his hand before Ryou could sense its presence. Ryou sat up slowly and rubbed sleep from his eyes, yawning several times in the process. He turned his head slightly and saw Malik, observing him lazily whilst leaning against the wall behind him;

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" 

_yes, especially with your soft skin and silky hair laying in my lap, your scent drifting into my senses every now and again, your soft moans of slumber and the gentle words you speak in your unconscious state…_

"…yes, I did. You?"     

Ryou nodded his response. He climbed to his feet and scratched the back of his head. The morning sun was already quite high in the sky and pouring golden light into the ally way. Malik remained on the floor, having taken his earrings out and was now inspecting them and cleaning them on his robe.

"Thank you" mumbled Ryou, almost inaudibly. Malik stopped midway through putting his earring back, the small gold object making a small tingling sound;

"Heh…don't worry, I couldn't just let you freeze, now, could I?" Malik shrugged, replacing his jewellery. Ryou blushed and turned away, gazing at the palace that was just visible at the end of the ally. He wandered to stand at the exit and placed a hand on the cool plaster wall of the building. Malik came up behind him, throwing his robe over his shoulders and crossing his arms;

"What are you thinking?" he asked the pensive albino. Ryou shook his head;

"…I don't know…"

The boys stood there for a moment, taking in the scene around them. What little hope they had of getting home seemed to fade.

"…there is hope…"

"What the?!" Malik exclaimed, whirling round. Standing behind them was the mysterious mystic Shadi, his association with the millennium items was well known to both boys.

"Shadi" said Malik, now calm. He knew this item holder wasn't dangerous, well, not in Bakura and Marik's sense, anyway. Ryou walked to stand beside Malik, smiling slightly.

"You are probably wondering why I am here" his slightly accented voice stated calmly. Both boys nodded.

"Your being thrown back in time is no coincidence, destiny has brought you here" Malik snorted at this comment and crossed his arms; Ryou gave him a small nudge, reminding him of his manners. Malik had finished believing in destiny a while back.

"Think what you may, it is the truth" Shadi continued. "You must complete the task that is set to you in this time, or else the consequences will be catastrophic. The voices you heard in the back of the ally the previous day were those of your yami's, the thief and tomb robber Bakura and his counterpart, Marik. They were bribing one of pharaoh Yami's not-so-loyal guards to letting them into the palace" he trailed off.

"Bribing him? For what?" Ryou asked quietly.

Shadi brought his eyes up to meet theirs slowly…. "they intend to kill pharaoh Yami"

Ryou's face was that of utter shock. Malik's was a blank, until it cracked up and started laughing, that is.

"Haaa! Oh, great…so we have to stop our darks from assassinating that ponce of a pharaoh? Yeah right..." he laughed.

"I'm being deadly serious, Malik Ishtar. If you do not stop them, the shadow games will never be contained…who knows what will happen" the mystic said forebodingly. Ryou bit his lip, stopping his yami was no easy task. Indeed, he had failed many times to 'stop' him from doing the various things he did. Who knows how strong he'd be in this age, in his original body, not a copy of his own feeble frame. Malik was also having similar thoughts, though he wasn't as frail as Ryou his yami was still formidable.

"I shall leave you now, my work here is done…remember the consequences…if you fail" with that, Shadi began to disappear. Malik stepped forward;

"Hey! You can't just leave! What are we supposed to do?!" the small Egyptian screamed, but the mystic had already vanished, leaving the ally as it was before.

Ryou had turned back to the palace and was eyeing it thoughtfully. Malik came up behind him again, still slightly flustered;

"So, we're really gonna do it?"

"We have no choice, Malik-kun" Ryou stated softly.

Malik sighed, "So, how are we gonna get in?"

"Pharaohs have days were people from other lands present him with their wealth right?"

"Ahhhhh…I get you"


	4. Searches through time

**fAuthor Notes:**

****

**TM: ***shuffles slowly onto the stage, looks on at audience and clears throat nervously* Erm…before we begin I would like to apologise for the mistake I made uploading the previous chapter *looks uncertainly back to LB who waves TM to continue*…erm…I particularly want to apologise to anyone who read the chapter before I noticed and removed the offending extra notes *throws self to the floor* Gomen na sai!! I am but an insignificant mortal! *cries dramatically*

**LB:** Very good Muffin *pats TM on the head*

**Celtic Guardian:** I have no idea what you are talking about…

**LB:** And I have no idea why you are here, you aren't even in this fic!

**CG:** I might be!

The Dark Magician saunters in all broody-like, grabs the disgruntled elf and drags him off

**TM:** Where'd they go?

**LB:** They've been all clingy ever since you wrote that fic about them…

**TM: ***cackles insanely*****

**LB: **Sometimes I really worry about your mental stability****

**TM: **Well you should, it's my turn to take over writing the fic. About time for some more Anzu bashing me thinks *rubs hands together gleefully*

**LB:** Try to remember this is PG-13

**TM:** Gah?? *Pouts* Fiiiiiine!

**LB:** And remember to R&R peeps

**TM:** *shakes fist* Remember!!

**LB:** *cowers behind life-size K effigy constructed from toothpicks and old bits of chewing gum* O..on with the fic!

**Disclaimer:** I wish I was good enough to own Yu-Gi-Oh *sniffles*

**Chapter 4 by The Muffin**

As far as hospitals go, Domino Hospital and Mental clinic was regarded by doctors and patients alike as one of the best in Japan. One doctor in particular prided himself on this reputation. Dr Rufus Orson, the youngest doctor ever to graduate with full honours from Tokyo University and go on to grace the sanitised white halls of this well renowned establishment. He had only been here for a month and already he was the most talked about and respected person in the compound; hard working, smart, young and surprisingly single. Dr Rufus Orson winked and inclined his head slightly as he passed a group of ogling nurses sending them into fits of childish giggles before carry on with his rounds. Yes, he had it all. Looks, a respectable job and a perfect record to go with it. Nothing had fazed him in the whole span of his profession and nothing could. It was only a matter of time before he would be promoted and could get out of this rotten children's ward. Children were such a waste of time. He swore that as soon as he became in complete control of this place – which he had calculated to be within the next four months – then he would shut the cursed ward down.

Dr Rufus Orson continued down the corridor…and crashed into Joey. 

"What the h…!" Dr Rufus Orson suddenly remembered the group of nurses who were looking on at the scene in shock then quickly silenced his outburst. He picked himself off of the floor then looked down with distaste at the boy who had crashed into him.

"Young man, are you alright?" Dr Rufus Orson held out his hand to help up the blonde youth when suddenly a brown haired girl jumped at him and latched herself onto his waist.

"Oh doctor! Doctor! It's terrible!" the dishevelled girl sobbed into his now muddied coat. "Our friend…he…he…the light! And they disappeared and he strangled me! Please!" 

Dr Rufus Orson strained his mind to try and figure out what the hysterical girl was saying when he saw the last of the teenagers come to a sudden halt behind her, all were muddy and tired looking…though the darker haired boy looked more pissed off than tired. One of the youths in particular caught the well renowned doctors attention. Despite being drenched, his hair continued to stand up in a perfect crest of purple spikes, tears streamed down his pale cheeks and he was cradling a younger boy in his arms. The unconscious boy was also caught his attention. Other than the size, the similarity between him and the one who carried him was uncanny. 

"Who are you?" Dr Rufus Orson asked Yami with practiced professionalism "Are you his brother?"

"His yami." Yami replied simply

Dr Rufus Orson blinked "His…yami?" 

"Yes. Now please, I order you to save him!"

The astonished doctor hesitated for a moment then motioned to the nurses to go and prepare a bed for the unconscious boy. He needed this perfect record and he had a feeling that this was going to take all of his charm…

"When did this happen?" The doctor asked leading the way to the hospital bed. 

"Yesterday afternoon in the park.."

The doctor stopped dead in his tacks and spun around to face the misfit posse.

"Y…Yesterday afternoon??!" Dr Rufus Orson was finding it hard to hear anything above the constant wailing of the girl who continually tried to latch onto his white coat but was pulled back by the taller, dark-haired boy with each attempt. "Why…How did it take you so long to get him here?" Keep calm…keep calm…perfect record… 

Yami went to open his mouth when Dr Rufus Orson raised a hand to silence him. 

"On second thoughts don't tell me. I don't even want to know." The doctor could feel his nerves slipping away from him with each passing second and he had the ominous feeling that the answer to his question would just send him right over the edge.

Permanent record…keep calm…this children's ward is history.

…,,,***~***,,,…

About 5000 years prior, two foreign travellers approached the entrance of the royal chamber; abode of the ruling pharaoh. A rich explorer in pursuit of knowledge dragging behind him his timid cloud white slave, a native from a far away land called "Japan". They had agreed that the best way to protect the pharaoh from their yamis was to be close to him at all times and to do this they needed to gain access into the palace. If the Yami of this time was similar to the Yami of their time, then gaining his trust wouldn't be too difficult. However, even someone as trusting as Yami would be suspicious if the two strangers didn't have some story to back up their claims of honesty. Since Malik was the only one who could speak the language everything was up to him. Ryou cowered close to Malik as he had been instructed to and looked up at the guards who his 'master' had managed, after much conversing, to convince into allowing them to have an audience with the great pharaoh. They were armed and didn't look like they had much in the way of a sense of humour. Ryou hoped to god that Malik knew what he was doing.

At last they stood within the great throne room. Before them, sitting a top a large ornate throne, a gold and blue headdress adorning his purple crested head, the black charcoal eyeliner framing his purple eyes, the royal sceptres crossed ceremoniously over his bare, dark-skinned chest, sat the regal figure of Yami. Ryou wasn't too surprised by this, after all Shadi had informed them that Yami was the Pharaoh at this time, but he was not prepared for what he saw seated beside his future friend's past self.

"Kaiba!" Ryou breathed so only Malik could hear him. 

"The high priest" Malik muttered gravely before he continued with pleading his case.

"As I explained to your men earlier," he spoke up to the pharaoh bowing his head in a mark of respect, "I am but a humble seeker of knowledge travelling the known world in my quest for understanding. Word of this great and powerful kingdom had attracted my attention but while passing through your lands I ran into an unfortunate meeting with some thieves…as you can see one of my slaves and the clothes that we wear were the only possessions I managed to save along with myself."

"You lie!" The purple clad Kaiba rose from his seat and glared hatefully. "How do we know that you are not spies from an enemy country? Or worse still, common thieves who wish to gain access to the royal chambers so you can make off with whatever you desire?!"

Ryou didn't understand what was going on but it didn't seem at all good as Malik's calm reply was met with a further interjection from the ill-tempered high priest.

"Your excellence" Kaiba turned to Yami who had been watching the scene with solemn interest. "I suggest that we rid ourselves of these intruders here and now! For all we know they could be assassins sent here to win the trust of a young and inexperienced pharaoh!"

Without a word, Yami raised an auburn hand signalling for Kaiba to stand down. 

"But Yam…Your excellence! They could kill you!"

"That's enough, Seto!" the young pharaoh's sudden outburst shocked the whole court into silence. The high priest locked his gaze with the pharaoh for a few moments then, with a frustrated growl, averted his eyes to the floor. "I apologise, your…excellence" Bowing he took his leave of the court. The glare he gave the two foreigners as he past them on his way out of the great hall sent a cold shiver down Ryou's spine. You didn't need to understand the language to realise that Kaiba's past self had an immediate dislike for the two odd-looking strangers. 

"He hasn't changed much." Malik muttered under his breath as he watched the purple clad high priest disappear around the corner. "Still as arrogant as ever…"

Pharaoh Yami shook his tanned head sadly then turned his attention back to the two visitors. 

"Please excuse that rather…unpleasant scene" he sighed "My high priest is just a little weary when it comes to the safety of this palace and its inhabitants." The young pharaoh inclined his head towards two of the guards then looked back at Malik "I have thought over your case and have come to the decision that I will grant you the aid that you need…unfortunately thieves are a common problem in this otherwise peaceful kingdom. Although some of my court may not agree, I will allow you and your slave to stay here within the palace until you are fit to continue with your quest. I'm afraid that our guest rooms will be quite humble compared to what you must be used to but please, try to make yourselves comfortable."

In keeping with the time honoured traditions, Malik bowed lowly before the pharaoh as he returned his sincerest gratitudes.

Ryou watched the scene through the gaps in his hair intently. From the sound of it, Malik had succeeded but he began to have his doubts as two armed guards began to approach them. Ryou tugged urgently on Malik's robe and began to protest but the stern faced Egyptian tugged on the rope silencing him. Ryou gave up and allowed himself to be dragged away to the exit of the throne room as they followed the two armed guards to only he didn't know where. 

…,,,***~***,,,…

Ryou couldn't believe their luck. The room that Pharaoh Yami had provided them with was anything but humble. The furnishings in the room consisted mainly of golds, reds and blues…but mainly of gold. Gold pillars surrounded the room holding up an elegantly painted ceiling with gold lined blue drapes hanging from them like feather light waterfalls. Plants also seemed to be a common theme of the room. Some of them Ryou recognised from the clippings his father had bought back from his trips but others were totally alien to him. In the centre of the room, a golden framed (chaise longee) large enough for two sat framed by the luxurious red silk padding and green feather-downed cushions. There was another room that lead off from the main chamber, which Malik was still discovering to be the bathroom. Ryou turned his attention to the colourful Hieroglyphics that adorned the smoothed limestone walls mostly consisting of luck charms and praises to the cat goddess Bast. Ryou found himself wishing he had a pen and paper at hand; his father would love to see these. 

Ryou walked over to the reddy gold long couch in the centre of the room and slumped down on it. Being dragged around all day by a rope tied to your neck was hard work and he was glad to finally be able to take the pressure off of his feet. Ryou kicked off the small leather sandals and lifted his legs up onto the soft padding of the couch. The feeling was more than pleasant. The snowy haired 'slave' snuggled down into the silken lining savouring the smooth texture as it glided across his slightly pinkish skin and closed his eyes allowing his thoughts to be swallowed by the sensual cloud he was now encased within. He had only been lying there a few moments when the torch flickered violently as if hit by a sudden breeze then extinguished itself completely sending the room into almost complete darkness. Ryou groaned and fluttered his eyelids open as his vision tried to adjust to the sudden change in lighting…only to find himself staring straight into a set of luminous disc-like orbs. The brown-eyed boy screamed and in a panicked flurry fell off the elegant (chaise longee) and hit the floor with a solid thud.

"Ryou!" Malik came skidding into the room, his hair plastered damply to his anxious face. He had just emerged from a well-needed and highly soothing bath when he heard Ryou's alarmed scream filter in from the main chamber. The startled Egyptian had only just remembered to wrap a towel around his bare waist before he went charging to the aid of his unprotected companion. Was it their yamis? Malik hastily lit a nearby torch and raised it high above his head. The flickering orange glow of the torch illuminated the shadows revealing an unnerved Ryou staring up into the dazzling purple eyes of…a cat!? Malik let out a sigh of relief as he slumped to the floor.

"Damn you, Ryou! You scared the crap out of me!"

"I'm sorry, Malik." Ryou could feel the distinct warmth of the blood rushing to his cheeks but this time it was from humiliation "But it really did scare me." 

Malik shook his head. Ryou was safe at least but Malik could not shake the feeling that had weld up inside of him upon hearing Ryou's terrified scream. He had only ever felt that way once before…back when he saw Rashid…Malik shook his head banishing the unwanted memories back into the depths of his unconscious mind. 

"He's the pharaoh's, isn't he? I wonder what he's doing here." Ryou mused as he gingerly scratched the curious cat under the chin.

Malik looked up from his thoughts "Not really that much of a mystery" he stated matter-of-factly "Probably just wondered in. Cats have right of way to everything in this time"

Malik stood and walked over to the cat, hitching his towel up slightly as he went. Carefully, he crouched down next to Ryou and stared into the feline's inquisitive eyes. 

"Kind of dopey looking" Malik grinned as he roughly rubbed the cat's head "Kind of like that little runt, Yugi."

Ryou flashed Malik his most menacing look which instantly made the mostly bare Egyptian back away slightly and raise his hands in mock terror.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry I made fun of your little boyfriend." 

Malik burst into laughter at the mortified look on Ryou's face. It was almost too easy to wind him up. Malik stood up and patted his chagrined 'slave' on the head. "Anyway, you may as well get your bath now. It will do your skin good."

Ryou nodded, rose from his seat and made his way towards the next room. Suddenly, the slightly pinkish boy stopped and turned his head back to face Malik "And no peeking!" he warned.

"Meany" Malik teased.

Malik watched as Ryou disappeared into the next room then slumped down onto the (chaise longee) and glanced at the motionless cat. Was it just him or was that cat staring at him with the same menacing look as Ryou had done? 

"Ridiculous" Malik scoffed as he reclined back into the soft linen. The fabric slid delicately across his tanned skin, a feeling that he would enjoy getting used to. Malik closed his eyes as he listened to the faint sounds of splashing water coming from the next room. Did Ryou really think that he would try to walk in on him? Granted any other time Malik wouldn't have hesitated at the chance to pull such a neat prank upon the hapless English boy but now that he thought about it…after all this they had been through so far…the very idea made him feel…uneasy. He didn't quite understand it but it was similar to that feeling you got when you walked into a sacred place but couldn't speak no matter how much the words try to force themselves out. Malik opened one eye and peered at the cat, its purple gaze still transfixed upon him. Malik shifted uneasily under the static gaze of the feline. He really didn't like the way it just kept staring at him. A sudden splash indicated that Ryou had finally emerged from the golden basin and this was momentarily confirmed as the pale boy stepped into the chamber with a towel identical to Malik's wrapped around his slender young body. His long, white hair hung damply down his back leaving a trail of speckling water on the floor behind him as he walked over to the (chaise longee) and seated himself between Malik and the intruding animal. 

"What now?" Ryou asked simply as he once again began to pet the royal feline. The cat's chest rumbled with satisfaction and licked Ryou's hand affectionately causing the sweet tasting English boy to giggle. Malik glared at the cat distastefully.

"I don't think we can be much use to "his excellence" lazing about here." Malik stated reluctantly. As much as he was enjoying the finery of Egyptian royalty, if what that turbaned mystic had said was true, then every moment was crucial. It would also give him a chance to get away from the static gaze of that animal. 

"What do you suggest then? That we go out into the streets and look for our yamis?"

Malik looked at Ryou unblinking for a moment then his face split into a broad grin. "Actually I was going to suggest that we find out if this pretty chair was really built for two but your idea will probably be more efficient…though not as fun."

Ryou fell off the chair.

…,,,***~***,,,…

The air was as cold as it had been the previous night. Fortunately however, this time Ryou had a robe that was left in their chamber, probably at convenience to the foreign traveller, that guarded his bare skin from the worst of the elements. They had been wondering around the lower walls of the palace perimeter for some time now scouring the dark streets below. Weariness crept across Ryou's mind and he wondered how Malik was able to remain so energetic even during these early hours of the morning. But then again that was one of the many things about Malik that appealed to the groggy headed English boy. His ability to always surprise. Just when Ryou had thought that he had finally figured out his Egyptian friend, something new was thrown into the equation that completely knocked his calculations out of balance. 

"Almost like Bakura" you thought to himself miserably as he continued to plod slowly behind Malik's ever watchful form. 

Suddenly Malik ducked down pulling his surprised companion down with him. 

"What is it?" Ryou whispered 

Malik clasped his hand firmly over Ryou's mouth to silence him and pointed down to the street below. A lone figure stood motionlessly in the isolated street below. It was Marik. There were a few differences but it definitely was the yami of the Millennium Rod. One noticeable difference however, was the absence of the flaming yellow eye in the middle of his dark forehead. Without it, the yami standing in the vacant alley and the hikari crouching on top of the wall would have been indistinguishable if it wasn't for the hair. Marik's spike fetish obviously had the ability to transcend time. There were a few other minor differences. The Marik of this time seemed a lot thinner and undernourished but given that he probably did not have complete access to a hikari's kitchen that was to be expected and all he wore was a plain white cloth similar to Ryou's yet he didn't seem to be bothered by the cold night air at all. The past yami seemed to be waiting for something and the two boys could hazard a guess as to what or, more accurately, who it was that he was waiting for. Ryou held his breath in anticipation and strained his ears to pick up the faints sounds. Time passed. Hours? Minutes? They couldn't be sure but to both the boys' disbelief, they saw the figure approaching before they heard him. The robed figure moved stealthily towards the waiting yami carrying a small bundle under his arm. Unfortunately, the strangers hood was pulled high up over his head obscuring his face. The two boys peered into the darkness from atop the wall but despite their efforts, they could not make out the features of Marik's companion. The new arrival took the bundle from under his arm and held it out to Marik conversing with him in a hushed whisper. The voice was high, but definitely male. Despite the different language, it was undoubtedly Bakura. 

Malik strained his ears harder to pick up what the two thieves were saying but was only able to make out a few vague details. The yami below unfolded the bundle that Bakura had just given him revealing a red robe, similar to that which his fellow tomb robber was wearing. Bakura took the robe from his smaller cohort and helped him into it, the fabric sliding elegantly over the bare dark skin of his arms. Suddenly, the twosome began to walk off. 

Malik gasped then stood up "Now's our chance to follow them"

Stealthily, the determined hikari jumped down from the wall and into the shadowed obscurity of the abandoned cart below. He looked up to see his fellow light still crouched down on the wall, his eyes transfixed at the rapidly disappearing duo.  

"Ryou!" Malik hissed "Come on!"

"It's…it's my yami…" Ryou's voice was vacant…almost as if he was talking from the midst of a trance.  

Malik looked at the boy bewilderedly  "Well of course it's your yami, who else would be stupid enough to try and assassinate the Pharaoh while he's surrounded by guards? Now get your butt down here before we loose them!"

Ryou wasn't listening. Too many emotions were forcing their way through his mind at once. Relief, confusion, longing, fear…physical pain? The empty coconut shell that had just bounced off of Ryou's head landed with a clop on the floor beside him. Ryou held his hand over the throbbing lump as he looked down angrily at the one responsible. Malik threw up his hands in exasperation. 

"Will you just get down here!" he hissed "We are going to loose them!"

Shaken from his deeper thoughts, Ryou was now able to comprehend what Malik was saying to him and began to make his rather clumsy way off of the wall to join the frustrated Egyptian in the dark street below. Satisfied that he finally had Ryou's full attention, Malik disappeared into the shadows of the vacant streets in pursuit if the yamis, his slave close behind.  

…,,,***~***,,,…

Dr Rufus Orson was not having a good day. With the aid of a few nurses he had finally managed to get the unconscious boy onto a hospital bed but checking up on him was a whole new game. He needed to know details about the child before he could even begin any medical treatment but all he got from the group of youths was the spiky haired boy who had carried him here insisting on ordering everyone about and the blonde kid threatening anyone who dared to even go near the small patient. He tried asking the girl but now her incoherent blubberings were really starting to get on his nerves. As for the other boy…he refused to even speak to the doctor for some unknown reason. The patient had arrived that morning…and it was now edging into the early hours of the next…Dr Rufus Orson sighed helplessly. Just keep calm…keep calm…

"YAMI!!" a high yet powerful voice bellowed down the corridors of the hospital, causing an immense chorus of crying to emanate from the younger patients which then reverberated around the narrow corridors of the children's ward.

Dr Rufus Orson collapsed into a chair in utter disbelief and cradled his weary head in his hands "What now?" he muttered cynically. Maybe that vacation wasn't such a bad idea after all.


	5. Medic!

**Author Notes**

*spotlight goes up, illuminating a figure dressed in a robe sitting in a chair, a tall silver haired person stood by the side*

ahem figure unrolls a huge bit of paper that rolls off the screen...

**Silver servant Bish:**LB would like to apologise for the time it has taken her to write this chapter, as she was 'distracted' by...other...things and didn't get round to it...

**LB: ***nods and waves the silver haired bish to continue*

**SSB: **uhh...and further more, she hopes that you will enjoy this chapter and R+R...is that right, mistress?

**TM:** *dives out of the shadows and glomps SSB* Kawaii!!! 

**SSB: **mistress… help me… breathing… impaired…

**LB:** well i'd love to but i personally like my dignity where it is...and besides...i have others that can replace you. You keep him, Muffin. Think of it as an early birthday present

**TM:** *blinks* don't you mean late?

**LB:** oh ok then… a very early birthday present. 

**TM:** Yay!! *drags SSB off kicking and screaming*

**LB: ***is immediately surrounded by her Bishi Corp. serving her needs night and day*

**Bishi Corps. Leader:** AttenTION!!

**Bishi Corps:** On with the fic!

**LB:** *sighs happily*

**Disclaimer: **These two authors don't own anything… accept the Bishie Corps. She owns them *pokes thumb at LB*. And the Silver Servant Bishie. The Muffin owns him *points in the direction of manic laughter*

Chapter 5 by Lightning Baron 

"You are so easily distracted, Ryou! We might have had a chance of catching them up if you hadn't stopped to look at that snake tamer and his damned cat! I swear, if that purple eyed freak of a feline is in our room by the time we get back, ill kick it out the window…"  Malik raged as he stomped back towards the palace, his slightly embarrassed 'slave' following behind. They had given up looking for their past yamis when Ryou had stopped, Malik throwing his arms up in frustrated surrender. They were now walking back to the palace, finding a way to scale the wall to get back inside, as turning up on the front door would no doubt cause trouble.

"Well, they can't be planning on breaking in tonight, that guard we saw in the ally wasn't on duty, and didn't Shadi say that he accepted a bribe from them?" Ryou broke the silence and jogged to catch up with Malik, who grunted and kept walking. Ryou hung his head. He'd really annoyed Malik; he chanced a glance at his disgruntled partner who flicked a piece of blond hair from his eyes. Ryou felt his heart twang, he didn't know why…it was similar to the times when Bakura…Ryou shook his head. He preferred to think clearly, given their present situation.

At last, the two boys stood at the base of the perimeter wall; in more or less the same place they had climbed over it earlier in the night. Ryou gave Malik a bunk up so that he could pull his lighter and weaker friend up. After several attempts, Ryou managed to scramble within Malik's reach who hauled him up. After catching their breath, the two renegades proceeded to muddle their way back to their room, trying to stay out of the way of the guards. They were walking through what seemed like the gardens when Malik held his arm out to stop Ryou. He put a finger to his lips and beckoned for Ryou to peek round the corner of the wall they had stopped at.

"I am so sorry, your Excellency…but I have been somewhat edgy of late…I apologise for the scene in the throne room…" the boys peered round the wall until they could see the semi silhouetted forms of…

"Kaiba and Yami…" Ryou breathed, his breath making a frosty trail in the cold night air. He involuntarily lent slightly closer to Malik for warmth, who was busy peering at the scene in front of him.

"Please, Seto…rise and sit by me…and you can call me Yami outside of the throne room" Yami said, his rich baritone voice soothing to the senses. Seto did as he was told and sat beside his pharaoh, and proceeded to pleat his robe.

"…what do you think of the strangers, Yami?" he finally said, glancing at the still form of Yami. 

"I believe them to be harmless enough, though they are strange, their kind I have never even heard of…and this…..Jarr-pahn?...was it?" Yami said, looking at his high priest, who giggled slightly,

"Japan…really Yami…" Seto laughed softly, his nervousness had seemed to disappear. It would seem that Seto was slightly afraid of Yami, like a naughty boy who had been scolded by his father. Yami laughed also and shook his head.

"Sometimes I wonder what is becoming of my mind…I am getting forgetful in my old age..." Yami joked. Seto then did something unexpected; he shuffled closer to the smaller form of Yami and placed his arm around the slender shoulders. He muttered something inaudible and then kissed Yami full on the lips. 

Ryou's eyes widened in shock and he felt Malik whirl back behind the wall. Ryou tore himself away and found Malik sticking his fingers down his throat in a gagging motion. Ryou went to open his mouth but was silenced by Malik's headshake, and so shut it again. Malik regained his composure and grabbed Ryou and dragged him off to the supposed direction of their room.

…,,,***~***,,,…

"Yami!" Bakura repeated, a little quieter this time but still growling. He and Marik had acted upon the only option remaining to them; go ask Yami. The pair, after sleeping in to recover from 'the night before', had tried all day to explain what had happened, even going as far as wandering around in their millennium items for ages, but they still couldn't think of anything. Finally, they had turned up in this place. How things could be kept so clean really eluded Marik, considering they had left the house in a complete tip heap…Bakura said Ryou would clean it when he got back.

Upon seeing the spiked blond Egyptian, Anzu had screamed like the hysterical wretch she was and threw herself behind Yami, clinging tightly to his body and whimpering every now and again. Marik laughed and winked at her, laughing further when she yelled again and hid her face behind Yami's back.

"What are you doing here…" Yami growled dangerously through Anzu's strangled sobs. Bakura crossed his arms and began tapping his foot,

"Really pharaoh, I knew you were stupid but I didn't think you were this stupid…what do you think?! We've lost our hikari's too!!" he bellowed, Marik grinning like a Cheshire cat…he loved it when Bakura got mad…Yami scowled at the pale tomb robber for a moment, before positioning himself between Yugi and the malicious yami. Bakura rolled his eyes, 

"Oh please…I wouldn't waste the energy…"

"He needs it for other things…" Marik piped up, openly slipping his hand down the back of Bakura's jeans and receiving an elbow in the chest for his efforts.

"Listen to me pharaoh…I don't give a shit about you or your snivelling hikari and his equally as pathetic little friends…just tell me how we get our hikaris back…" Bakura threatened in a low, dangerous voice, Marik licking his lips behind the advancing dark.

He had almost got chest to chest with Yami when a yell and the flying form of Joey collided with Bakura, sending them into the wall with a thud.

"Whaddaya want, huh? Haven't you done enough?!" Joey yelled, taking a hold of Bakura's neck and repeatedly smashing his head into the ground. Marik yawned and leant against the wall next to the door where he could watch. Anzu by this time had retreated as far away from the fight as possible, collapsing and sobbing in a corner, muttering her 'friendship speeches' over and over. No matter how hard and how often Joey assaulted Bakura, the dangerous yami kept staring him in the eye, daring him to carry on. Eventually Joey stopped, his breathing harsh and irregular. Bakura's face split into a grin and in one swift movement had thrown Joey off onto the floor next to him. Leaning down, he picked him up by the shirt collar and brought him to his nose;

"Don't DO that…you disgusting freak…" he snarled and shoved his captive into the wall. He again turned to face Yami, feeling the back of his head for any damage. Marik chuckled from his place against the wall;

"Heh…your heads turning red…ill have to wash it out for you" he laughed. To him, this was all a game. He thrived on violence and pain, and when it was mixed with a certain yami…well…he enjoyed it TOO much. He crossed his arms and grinned. Bakura focused his attention back to Yami, his face a deadly glare,

"Ill ask you again. How do we get Malik and Ryou back" he said flatly.

"I do not know. Now, I command you to leave!" Yami shouted. Bakura growled and turned to leave when a figure burst through the door.

"What is going on? What is the meaning of all this racquet?!" Dr. Rufus Orson demanded, his eyes trailing over the room's inhabitants.

"I…it's…awful! They…THEY…..burst in here! They hurt Joey!! They did! Help, please!!" Anzu shrieked and once again attempted to latch on to the good doctors' coat. Marik threw his head back and laughed like a mad man, Anzu was entertaining. Dr Orson turned to face the blond nutcase, eyeing him quizzically,

"What, may I ask, is so funny?" he enquired, shacking Anzu loose. Marik stopped laughing and dropped his head to stare at the doctor. He raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the blubbering freak standing with Tristan. The doctor sighed and turned his attention to the white haired one. Circling him, he let out a gasp,

"Your head, it's bleeding!" he exclaimed.

"Well, no shit…" replied the irritated yami, he just wanted to go home so he could smash stuff and swear a lot.

"You're also covered in bruises…what has happened to you?" he asked, now back round the front of Bakura. Marik got up from the wall and sauntered over to the pair,

"The head was him" he explained, poking his thumb towards Joey.

"And the bruises?"

"I gave them to him…and they're _nothing _compared to the ones he's given me"

"Wha---?"

Malik rolled up his top to reveal what looked like a bite mark made by a complete set of teeth with a nice purple bruise surrounding it on his abdomen. 

"…how…? The doctor said, now backing away from the pair. Marik raised his eyebrows and licked his lips. Replacing his top he held Bakura's hand and led him out of the room, making sure to stare at the good doctor to freak him out to the maximum extent, before closing the door behind him. Dr Rufus Orson slumped down in the bedside chair and held his head in his hands. 

"Think of the money, think of the money, think of the money…thin…."

…,,,***~***,,,…

Malik awoke to his second morning in ancient Egypt, the sun streaming through the balcony into the room, making the gold shine and bathing everything in a warm glow. He stretched and yawned, moving his legs to confirm a theory. He could, however, move his legs freely. So, Ryou didn't have a fetish with lying across his legs after all. Malik couldn't help but feel disappointed. Ryou was everything Marik was not. He was kind and modest, Marik was mean and outgoing. He was soft and tender, having some sense of dignity and modesty. Marik was a complete nutcase who was overly concerned with the matters of the bedroom. Not that it was a bad thing, but there had to be a break in it all somewhere and some of the things Marik sent him late at night were unnecessary, to say the least.

Malik blinked and rolled over…and found the sleeping form of Ryou right by his nose, Malik froze and stared at his sleeping face, the sunlight falling on it and making him…

"Angelic…" he breathed.

Ryou had brought it up last night about the fact that there was only one bed. King Yami had obviously assumed that the 'slave' should sleep on the floor or a similar location…him being a lowly servant after all. But Malik had insisted that he should sleep on the bed, considering how cold he had gotten the night before he didn't want another sniffling wreck to deal with in the morning. As he had so kindly put it. After some more arguing, the pair agreed to sleep one at each end, seeing as the bed was absolutely huge and could accommodate a small army. So, Ryou had gotten the top and Malik the bottom. But somehow, Malik had managed to worm his way further up the bed in his unconscious state to end up sleeping beside this angel. It was then his sister's voice came into his head… "gods, even this far away she still bugs me"

"Malik, you were curled up by the stove again. I swear we are going to have to tie you into your bed at night or else you could have an accident…either that or make you a huge woolly jumper" he sighed as the memory of his days living in Egypt came back to him. 

Apparently, Malik hated being cold when he was trying to sleep, even going as far as to seek out the nearest source of warmth and lay there for the night. On countless occasions he had found himself curled up beside Rashid like a small puppy, his older brother would keep having to carry him back to his room complete with his blanket, or else he would wander back in and re-settle. That would probably explain how he got so far up the bed. He began to realise he also hated being insecure, that's why he had always sought his brother out. He felt safe when he was with people, especially his yami. He knew under the rough, crazy exterior there was a kind and caring person, even if he did spend half the week with Bakura, he still cared. He turned his attention back to Ryou. Maybe he wanted to be to Ryou what meant to him so much, someone he could depend on, someone he could love, someone he could cuddle and soothe. He smiled slightly and reached out to Ryou's face, touching the soft blushed cheeks framed by dark silver eyelashes. 

"Ryou…" he whispered.

"Mmmmm….."

Malik smiled and took his hand away to touch his hair, but before he could, Ryou's face contorted into a look of distress and he buried half his face into the satin pillows. Malik placed his hand on Ryou's hair and began to stroke it gently. Ryou's face softened again and he snuggled into his pillows, seemingly content with Malik's caress. 

Malik lay like that for a little while longer, smiling at the reaction he got from the angel in front of him. And for a moment he forgot all his troubles, that fact he was in a different time, the impending danger to Yami from their ambitious darks. For a moment, he was in the heaven Ryou had created in his slumber. Then reality hit him with a sickening thud somewhere in his stomach. He had to get up, he had to sever his connection Ryou and end this moment forever. He doubted he could ever openly tell Ryou of his newly found feelings; his cocky bravado would never be broken in front of other people. No, he would have to continue to be Malik Ishtar to Ryou, not his beloved, not his Koi. Just Malik. 

He sighed and took his hand away from Ryou's soft hair and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He slipped the baggy pyjama pants down over his ankles and headed in the direction of the washroom, intending to have a bath before beginning the day.

Unknown to him, however, the 'sleeping' angel had turned and watched in silence, touching his cheek as he watched Malik exit the bedchamber. 

If there was one thing you should learn about Ryou Bakura, according to his yami, is that he is an expert at faking his sleep… 


	6. Feline Folly

**Author Notes:**

**TM**: Hello again our lovely readers! I apologise for the amount of time this chappie has taken me to finish… making you wait so long… I'm very sorry.

**LB:** So you bloomin' well should be, slacker!

**TM:** Hey! I've been busy with exams and stuff!

**LB:** Yeah, excuses, excuses.

**TM:** *pokes tongue out at LB* Oooh oooh! Anyway to make up for it I have a special treat (or not) for you. An **extra long** chappie *beams*

**LB:** Woohoo!

**TM:**  I had a lot of fun writing this chappie *sniggers* and I owe it all to my little spark of silver haired inspiration. Isn't that right, Bishy-kun?

**Silver Haired Bishi:** Yes your great Muffininess.

**LB:** Aaww how sweet. Anyway we've been neglecting to do this so a big thanks to all our reviewers. 

**TM:** Thank you! We loooove you ^^. *squeezes the  Silver Haired Bishi happily* 

**LB:** *blinks* Yeah… That reminds me… I haven't seen the Dark Magician or Cano…Celtic Guardian around lately. 

**TM:** They'll turn up

**LB:** What makes you so sure?

**TM:** *holds up incriminating love poems* I swiped them from the Dark Magician's robe. They'll realise any moment now.

****screams can be heard emanating from off screen****

**LB:** Eeeexcellent *clicks her fingers and her bishi corps arm themselves with the bishi-catching nets* While we catch ourselves some bishis, please read and enjoy. Oh, and don't forget to R&R peeps. 

**TM:** *jumping around with the Silver Haired Bishi* R&R! R&R! R&R! Yaaaaaay!

**LB:** *sweat drops* Well…on with the fic!

**Disclaimer:** We've said it once and we've said it again, neither of us own Yu-gi-oh!

**Extra Note:** A little bit more shounen ai than usual, you lucky devils, you. 

**Chapter 6** by The Muffin

The water slowly came to the boil as Malik sifted through the various spices in which to flavour his morning bath. Usually this task would have been carried out by the servants but Malik had seen Rashid perform this duty enough times while he was growing up to know how to do it himself. He had even leant a hand on several occasions when he was certain his father would not find out so he had a basic idea of which spices had what effect. Malik lifted the bubbling pot off of the simmering coals and poured the water into the smooth golden basin, after which he added a rather sweet smelling spice well known for its relaxing qualities. The pharaoh may have been a pompous jerk but he certainly knew how to cater for his guests. After waiting for the water to cool down to a desirable temperature, Malik lowered himself into the sweet smelling liquid. He could feel the spice instantly taking effect as he submerged his bronzed skin beneath the surface of the fragrant bath water until only his shoulders and head remained untouched. Resting his neck on the rim of the basin, Malik let his mind wonder over the experiences of the past few days. He was surprised at how little the Pharaoh's guards checked up on them. Yami must have insisted that his new guests be left to their own devises. The only time the guards came was while they were escorting the servants with food for them and then they left straight after. Yami seemed a lot more… well a lot more like Yugi in this age. Naïve and trusting but with a great burden forced upon him. No wonder he was an easy target for assassination. 

It still all seemed slightly unreal to the fair haired Egyptian, like a light dream that he would wake up from any moment now to find himself back in his bedroom in Domino City, his yami snoring loudly beside him. Though a part of him hoped that this was the case, another part of him felt differently; the part that was grateful for this opportunity to get closer to Bakura's timid hikari. 

Malik closed his eyes and stretched leaning his head further over the edge of the golden basin, allowing the tips of his blonde hair to brush lightly against the floor, enjoying the full effect of the sweet smelling spice. He hadn't had a bath this good in a long while. Not since his younger days back in Egypt. They just didn't sell spices like these in the streets of Domino. Maybe Shadi would allow him to take a bottle or two back with them when the time came for him and Ryou to return to the present. Probably not… That boring Mystic would most likely come up with some excuse about changing the fabric of history. Anything to spoil other peoples' fun. 

"Malik?"

The small voice pulled Malik from his dreamlike state, stopping him in mid stretch. The baffled Egyptian's eyes fluttered open to see the upside down form of Ryou, readily dressed in his white linen skirt, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"GYAAAH!! R…Ryou! What the hell do you think you're doing?!!" The flustered Egypitian demanded splashing water everywhere in a vain attempt to get himself into a more covered up position.

"Er well… I needed to ask you something…"

"Can't you ask me later, Ryou!" Malik exclaimed heatedly. "I don't know if you've noticed but I'm kind of in the middle of something here!"

"Oh!" Ryou's cheeks flushed a deep crimson as if it was the first time he had noticed Malik's current predicament. "Gomen na sai! I didn't realise!"

"Didn't realise?!" Malik could feel his face burning from ear to ear as he cursed himself for ever taking bubble bath for granted. "What kind of idiot are you?!" 

Malik regretted the words as soon as he uttered them as he saw the telltale glisten of tears begin to well in the corners of his angelic companion's eyes.****

"I… I'm sorry…" the white haired boy muttered quietly, keeping his eyes uncomfortably focused on the floor. "I'll wait till you're done… Gomen…"

Malik could feel his rapid heart beat slow as he watched the admonished Ryou shuffle back quickly from the doorway and disappear into the other room. 

"Ryou…" Malik sighed as he reluctantly dragged himself out of his well-needed bath and pulled the thin cotton robe provided by the Pharaoh over his smooth wet skin.

…,,,***~***,,,…

It was early morning and Dr Rufus Orson was not in the best of moods. The previous night had pushed his usually well-kept temper right to the edge leaving him on the verge of snapping at anything that moved. He had finally managed to make the teenagers leave assuring them that their presence would only hinder the work of the doctors, however he still couldn't shake the feeling that those two disturbing new comers, the foreign one and the one with long white hair, were still lurking around somewhere. Dr Rufus Orson shook his head and turned his attention back to the rectangular clipboard in his hands. 

"Well?"  

The tense doctor looked up over the edge of the clipboard and into the purple, questioning eyes of the tri-colour haired boy sitting by the patient's bedside. The doctor may have been able to get the others to leave but this one was a different story. 

Despite the doctor and nurses' efforts, the boy had refused to leave the side of his "hikari" and threatened to abolish anyone who dared try to make him do so, while precariously waving a pyramid shaped block in their faces. Dr Rufus Orson decided against any further attempt to remove the boy, suspecting his mentality to be somewhat questionable. His suspicions were confirmed however when the boy then proceeded to scream abuse at the "demonic" heart rate monitor every time it beeped. It took Dr Rufus Orson a full 20 minutes to explain that the machine wasn't any threat to his small companion… though it would have taken less time if the boy had not kept trying to link everything the doctor said to some stupid card game and something called… the shallow realm? This boy was eccentric to say the least…

"Well what is wrong with him?!" the boy demanded again. For such a shrimp he sure was domineering. 

Dr Rufus Orson passed his clipboard to the nurse and cleared his throat.

"Well the results from the blood test we took are back though so far they have come up negative. No foreign bodies within the plasma, the right concentration of red and white bl…" the look of utter confusion on the boy's face brought the doctor's explanation to a premature stop and he sighed frustratedly. "Simply put we don't know what's wrong with him."

"What do you mean you don't know what's wrong with him?!" the boy asked angrily "I told you what was wrong with him! He's been…"

"Yes, yes." Dr Rufus Orson interrupted with a raise of his hand "He's been struck by shallow magic but…"

"Shadow magic" 

Dr Rufus Orson's eye twitched dangerously "Yes… *shadow* magic… my apologies…" he muttered through clenched teeth. Is perfect prestige really worth all this? "but er… that only explains what is wrong with him… spiritually. We need to find out what's wrong with him biologically."

"There's a difference?" the boy asked sincerely

"Why yes, of course." Dr Rufus Orson explained in his most genuine voice. "You see, if we find out what is wrong with him biologically… he er… he will then be cured spiritually."

"Of course!" the boy exulted "It's all so clear to me now"

"Uh huh… sure it is… so as I was saying we are not sure what is wrong with him… biologically. As far as all the tests we have taken on him go, there seems to be nothing wrong with him. It's almost as if he is just sleeping except…"

"Except what?"

"Well it's his eyes." He leaned over the bed and gently opened the unconscious boys left eye. "The irises are completely white."

"They look so lifeless…" the boy agreed sternly trying to fight back the tears forming in his deep purple eyes. 

"Like he's lost his soul…" The nurse interjected.

This comment was met with a roar of sceptic laughter from the practical doctor. Yami however was not amused.  

…,,,***~***,,,…

Ryou was sitting quietly on the long red chair in the middle of the main chamber when Malik walked in tying the rope of his robe around his waist. He stopped when he saw Ryou and blushed at the memory of what had just past between them. He could not remember ever feeling this awkward before… not even when Isis had caught him and Marik on the washing machine that time.

"Look…er…I'm sorry." Malik muttered taking a step closer to Ryou, "I didn't mean to shout at you like that. You surprised me…"

Ryou shock his head, his white hair falling over his face, obscuring his porcelain features. 

"No, it was my fault… I forgot my manners… I'm sorry."

Malik sighed feeling no less guilty for chiding his friend. He couldn't see Ryou's face through the mass of snowy white hair but he could tell that the boy's expression was troubled. Malik sat down on the long chair and placed a reassuring hand on Ryou's bare shoulder 

"Well… you wanted to ask me something, right?" 

Ryou nodded without looking up.

"What was it you wanted to ask me?" 

After a moments silence Ryou spoke up.

"Do you…" Ryou hesitated as he stared down at his hands. Malik watched Ryou's every movements nervously. He was unsure of where this conversation was going but he had his suspicions. He looked down at his own hands and waited for Ryou to continue. 

"Do you…" the white haired boy continued softly, "Do you ever think we'll make it home?"

Malik blinked questionably. That was not the question he thought Ryou was going to ask and he felt slightly ashamed and stupid because of it. 

"That's what you wanted to ask me?" Malik asked trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. 

Ryou nodded silently waiting for an answer. 

"Well… Of course we will!" Malik smiled reassuringly as he reached out and gently brushed the white curtain of hair behind Ryou's ear. He was right about one thing. Ryou did look troubled. "I mean…why wouldn't we? You heard what Shadi said. We stop the assassination, we go home."

"I know…" Ryou replied quietly. "But I don't think our yamis are going to let us stop them that easily…"

"Our yamis? Hah! Those two can't even get a puzzle off of a high school shrimp let alone successfully assassinate a Pharaoh protected by guards and not to mention the royal grumpmeister himself, Kaiba."

"Yes but now we are in **their** time." Ryou persisted, "They have the advantage here… and here they don't… **need** us. What makes you think that it will be so easy?"

Ryou was trying his hardest to keep his voice from sounding hysterical, Malik could hear it. He was trying to think of a suitable reason to support his optimism when Ryou did something completely unexpected. With a sudden sob, the snowy angel threw himself into Malik's chest, clutching the fabric of the startled Egyptian's robe, tears streaming uncontrollably down his soft cheeks. All the troubles and worries of the past few days that had been building up inside of him being released with each strangled sob and bitter tear. This sudden burst of emotion took Malik entirely off guard and he stared down at the white-haired boy in astonishment.

"What if we can never get back?!" Ryou sobbed into Malik's chest, his tears staining the lining of the white robe a sorrowful grey, "I wish I could believe you…but…What if I can never see my friends, or my father or…or my yami again?!"

Malik looked down at the sobbing white mass desperately slumped against his chest. Seeing no other way to calm him, Malik took Ryou's pale, tear soaked chin in his hand and tilted his head up to look him directly in the eyes.

"Ryou, listen to me…" 

Ryou's sobs died down as he stared back into the lilac eyes of his comforter then nodded to indicate that he was listening.

"If that's all that is worrying you…" Malik continued softly. He felt totally out of character however, the proud Malik Ishtar would have to swallow his pride just this once. Ryou needed support. "…Then your tears are wasted. Maybe if you were alone this task would be impossible but you seem to forget that I'm here. No matter what our yamis try…trickery, violence, whatever. By Ra I never thought that I would say this… but I will not let them lay a finger on Yami! I promise I'll get us… I promise that I'll get **you** home."

"Malik-kun…"

The two boys sat quietly staring into each other's eyes. Coffee mirrored in lilac…lilac reflected in coffee. Then, as if by some force of gravity, Malik found his face… his lips… moving closer to Ryou's. The room around seem to dissolve away slowly until only the two boys and the long red couch remained in their own pocket of existence as their lips…

"ARRGGH!!" Malik yelled causing Ryou to jump with fright and fall off the chair as the purple-eyed cat leapt form out of nowhere and landed forcefully on Malik's lap. Malik winced in pain as the claws sank deeper through the thin fabric of his robe and into the flesh of his thigh. 

"What in…why you horrid little...!" He was about to strangle the rambunctious feline when Ryou snatched it from his lap and held the creature close to his chest.

"Calm down, Malik." Ryou pleaded, "It's just a cat! It didn't mean any harm."

The cat purred contently as Ryou delicately stroked its head and back.  

"See? It just wants some attention."

"Maybe not to you." Malik muttered darkly, rubbing the claw indentations on his legs. He lifted up his hand and examined his fingertips. "Oh great! I'm bleeding!"

The wounded Egyptian held up his fingers to Ryou as proof but his companion wasn't listening anymore. The cat had suddenly gotten agitated and was trying to squirm its way out of his arms. With a final effort, the cat managed to leap out from Ryou's hold and ran towards the door. It then turned and looked back at them, desperation glistering in its purple eyes. Ryou walked over to the chamber door and opened it wide enough to let the cat squeeze out. However, the cat remained where it was, staring up at Ryou with its desperate eyes. Ryou looked down at the immobile feline inquisitively. 

"Go on then." He cooed motioning to the opening. The cat still didn't move. Malik looked over at the scene unamused as he picked out his black boxers from the pile of clothes that he had left in the middle of the floor last night. 

"Is there something wrong?" Ryou asked the cat kindly. 

Malik nearly fell over when he heard those words. To his further surprise, the cat sprang to its feet, meowed excitedly, then bolted out of the doorway. 

"I think it wants something." Ryou mused.

"What are you talking about?" Malik muttered as he pulled his black boxers on under the cotton robe. "It's just a stray cat…and an annoying one at that."

"Let's follow it." Ryou suggested.

Malik stared at Ryou blankly. "You're kidding, right?" 

"Come on, Malik!" Ryou said excitedly as he disappeared through the doorway. 

"Hey wait, you fool! You're meant to be a slave! You can't just… oh for Ra's sake…"

Malik quickly discarded the white cotton robe and pulled the cream tunic over his head. With one swift movement, he snatched up the blue robe then scrambled for the door. As an afterthought, Malik doubled back and grabbed the collar, which Ryou had left on the side, then followed quickly after its owner.   

Malik didn't have to run far until he crashed into the back of Ryou sending them both sprawling across the floor. 

"What in Thoth's name do you think you're doing, Ryou?!" Malik growled as he lifted himself off the floor and looked straight up into the eyes of Yami. 

"Y… Your greatness!" Malik bowed as he hastily motioned for Ryou to stay down on the floor, "What a pleasure this is."

"You insolent curs!" Seto barked as he stepped out from behind the Pharaoh and glared menacingly at Malik who tried desperately not to shrink back from the onslaught of the taller Egyptian. "This is the royal palace of the great Pharaoh and you…!"

"Stand down, Seto." Yami ordered with a stern look at his high priest. Seto looked as though he was about to complain then obviously thought better of it since he gave a solemn bow then took a step away from Malik. Yami turned his attention back to the two foreigners. When his eyes fell on Ryou, he smiled warmly. "You may rise, slave."

Ryou remained where he was, not being able to understand Ancient Egyptian, until Malik hissed at him to stand. Quickly, Ryou scrambled to his feet but kept his eyes averted from the Pharaoh as was instructed to him by Malik when they had first arrived. 

"May I ask what it is you are doing?" the Pharaoh directed at Malik who was still bowing deeply.

"I apologise for the disturbance, your excellency." Malik replied rising from his bow. "You see… I was just taking my slave for a morning walk."

Yami raised an eyebrow curiously. "A morning walk?"

"Yes, your excellency. For exercise. It would be a shame if my slave were to lose his fine figure." Malik placed an auburn hand on Ryou's pale stomach for emphasis causing the confused slave to flinch suddenly. 

Yami nodded understandingly. "Anyway, I am glad that you have stumbled into me like this. You see… I wanted to ask you some questions about this… Jah-pan you come from. I have seen pale skinned slaves before but never one with hair so pure. Also the language your slave speaks fascinates me. I insist that you teach me some." 

"I would be delighted to… though if it is alright with you, your excellency, may we make it at a later time?" 

Seto went to voice his disgust at this foreigner's disobedience but he was silenced by the Pharaoh's hand, who then nodded at Malik to continue.

"I am truly sorry, your greatness, but my slave gets a little tetchy if he doesn't get his morning walk… and you know how hard it can be to deal with a tetchy slave." Malik added with a wink.

Pharaoh Yami gave a sideward glance at Seto and smiled knowingly. "Very well. But I am holding a royal banquet tonight in honour of the gods and my people. I trust you and your slave will be attending. We can continue this discussion then."

"It would be an honour, your greatness" Malik bowed deeply. "Now if you will please excuse me?"

Yami nodded his consent allowing Malik and Ryou to continue their pursuit of the renegade feline. Seto looked at his Pharaoh gravely. 

"Are you sure it's wise to give them so much freedom, your excel…Yami?"

The Pharaoh nodded as he watched the two foreigners disappear down the vast hallway. "Yes, I'm sure." 

"I can't believe you're making us do this." Malik complained as they finally caught up with the cat that had been waiting for them at the entrance to the palace. "It's a good thing Yami's as intelligent as a brain dead ibis otherwise we might have been in trouble." This remark was met by a threatening hiss from the cat, which Malik returned with a look darker than any his yami could have produced. 

"Is that why he can always beat you and Marik at any game you challenge him to?" Ryou asked sweetly. 

"Don't even go there, Ryou." Malik growled.

"Anyway, I don't think that Yami is as naïve as we may think…" Ryou continued quietly not wanting to be overheard by any guards or servants that may be wondering around the halls. "I get the feeling that he knows more than he is letting on."

Malik scoffed at this remark "Whatever you say. Now let's just let this flea bag outside and get this little hunt over with… Or have you forgotten that two deranged yamis are planning on assassinating the Pharaoh any night now?!"

"Not so loud!" Ryou hissed looking around nervously for anyone who could have overheard them. 

Malik rolled his eyes. It wasn't as though anyone here could understand Japanese anyway. With a sigh he lifted his hand to bang on the palace entrance to let the guards outside know they wanted to leave. Just before he did, Malik changed his mind and reached into the inside of his robe. Ryou's look of puzzlement turned to anguish as Malik held out the black leather collar before him. 

"Do I have to?" Ryou whined, looking at the leather strap with nothing but distaste. 

"Of course…**slave**." Malik grinned. "Unless you want our cover to be blown."

Ryou groaned as he took the collar and reluctantly fastened it around his neck.

"There." Malik smiled as he stood behind Ryou and pulled the cascade of long white hair out of the way of the collar. "You make such a beautiful bondage queen."

Ryou spun around and glared at Malik who was positively beaming.

"Malik!"

Malik laughed and raised his hands defensively. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! No need to be so sensitive, my dear." 

Ryou flushed as Malik walked to the giant doors and proceeded to bang his fists against them repeatedly. Almost immediately, the great doors began to open, gradually filling the dim chamber with the light of the morning sun. As soon as the gap was large enough, the cat bolted into the world outside, soon to be followed by Malik with his slave in tow. 

It had been almost an hour and still they were pursuing the cat through the ancient streets of Cairo. They had lost sight of the cat on numerous occasions only to find it waiting patiently for them a few corners ahead. Malik was going as fast as he could, wanting nothing more than to get this over with, whereas Ryou was beginning to regret his idea to follow the cat as the constant pulling on his collar was starting to cause a stiffness in his neck. The hot air and constant running were starting to make Ryou's head spin and he was about to collapse to the floor and admit defeat when Malik came to a sudden stop. 

"Wh…what is it?" Ryou panted wondering if it was worth sitting down. 

"It's taking us outside the city…" Malik muttered staring up at the wide stone arch that marked the edge of the capital.

"Then why don't we follow him?"   

"That's desert out there." Malik explained impatiently, "We'll need water unless we want to end up as dehydrated prunes. Do you want to end up as a dehydrated prune?!"

Ryou was taken back by Malik's sudden edgy tone then looked away shamefully. 

"I'm sorry." Malik sighed, "I've upset you again, haven't I? Fortunately for us I got a little money along with these clothes from the guy I traded in our jackets to. Let's just find somewhere to buy some containers and then take some water with us, ok?"

Ryou replied with a sweet smile and a nod of his head. 

The task was completed a lot easier than expected. As luck would have it, there was a stall nearby that specialised in selling provisions for merchants leaving the city, which just so happened to be stationed by a well. Malik had managed to haggle quite successfully with the stall owner and had even gotten them permission to use the well free of charge. 

"It's not his well anyway." Malik explained to Ryou as they walked back to the arch where the cat was waiting for them. "Oldest trick in the book."

Satisfied that they were ready, the cat turned and made its way out through the stone arch and trotted down the camel hoof marked track. 

"This is stupid!" Malik muttered as he drained the last drop of water from the container. "Risking our lives following a cat and for what?!"

"Please stop complaining." Ryou sighed. They had been following the animal for some time and Ryou, not being used to such arid conditions, was not having the best of times. 

"I can't honestly say that this is one of your better ideas." Malik continued. "And you've had some pretty crap ones. Ergh… why didn't we get camels? You know, the guy at the stall was pretty interested in you. I should have traded you in for a camel." 

Ryou shook his head wearily but said nothing.

"And another thing… Why isn't that cat dead yet? I haven't seen him drink a single drop all day!" 

The two looked up and noticed that the feline in question had come to a stop by an odd-looking rock formation. Malik discarded the empty container then looked at the rock formation suspiciously.

"I'm guessing this is what he wanted to show us." Ryou muttered bitterly. A long walk through the Sahara desert was enough to make even his patience wear thin. Malik approached the formation and continued to pace slowly around it. 

"Malik…?"

"Ah hah!" The Egyptian exulted as he leaned down and began to move some of the smaller rocks out of the way. Malik grinned triumphantly as he uncovered a crude wooden devise resembling some sort of leaver. "Seems as though this cat is not as useless as it looks." Malik chuckled as he patted the feline on the head. If cats could scowl then this one was doing a great job of it.  

Malik pulled hard on the leaver and, as he had expected, a large opening leading to a downward staircase appeared in the ground before them.

"Wow!" Ryou gasped, "How did you know about that leaver?"

"I grew up underground, remember?" Malik replied as he began to descend into the dimly lit passageway. Ryou and the cat were quick to follow. 

The staircase, dimly lit by scattered torches, was long and seemed to slope down for some way. Malik took a torch that wasn't as burnt down as the rest and began to lead the way into the depths of the passage.

"This is a tomb, isn't it?" Ryou breathed gazing in wonder at the unfaded hieroglyphs decorating the walls. His father would have loved this. 

"Yes, the tomb of some forgotten Pharaoh." Malik explained as they continued to descend the dimly lit stairs. "From one of the earlier dynasties judging from the design of it. However, it's not even in the Valley of Kings so it's likely to be a Pharaoh that didn't rule for very long… or everybody hated."

"But if it's forgotten…" Ryou pondered as he examined every inch of his surroundings. "Then how come the torches are still lit?"

Malik remained silent and continued to lead them further down. He knew the answer to this question all too well.

Suddenly, the stairs came to a stop and branched off into three separate passageways. Malik was about to voice his frustration when the cat took off and bolted down the central passage. 

Without even thinking, Ryou took off in pursuit.

"Wait, Ryou!" Malik hissed as he tried to make a grab for the rope of Ryou's collar only to have it evade his grasp at the last moment, "Damn it, Ryou! If we get split up in here then there's no way we can find each other again!" 

At first, Malik was able to keep Ryou in sight, yet Ryou's determination to find out what the cat was trying to show them gradually increased the gap between them causing the pursuing Egyptian to lose sight of the glistening white hair from time to time. Unfortunately, it was on one of these occasions that Malik lost sight of his disobedient slave that the passage split off into two. Malik came to a halt at the junction and strained his ears for any sound that would indicate which way Ryou and the cursed feline had gone. Hearing nothing, Malik looked down at the floor only to see that fresh tracks lead down both tunnels. The exasperated Egyptian punched the wall in frustration. This was not good. If Malik was right, and he was now certain he was, then they had unwittingly stumbled into a thief's hideout. Panic began to wash over the isolated boy like an inescapable tide. What if in his blind determination Ryou were to stumble right into the midst of the owners of this hideout? Ryou made an unusual yet undoubtedly beautiful slave. If he were to come across a group of immoral cut throats… alone and frightened… then anything could happen! Malik could not let that happen to his Ryou. Closing his eyes and trusting fate to instinct, Malik took off down the left hand corridor and hoped for the best.

Ryou was oblivious to the desperate calls of his friend. All he could think about as he ran down the torch lit corridors was what would be revealed to him at the end of this chase. He hadn't told Malik, but from the moment he first saw the cat he realised that there was something… not normal about it. For one thing cats didn't tend to have purple eyes. 

Some time after Malik's calls had completely faded, the cat in question rounded a corner then came to a sudden stop. Ryou slowed to a halt and used this opportunity to catch his breath. It was at this point that Ryou noticed the torchlight had stopped a corner or two back leaving him engulfed in complete darkness… complete darkness save for the twinkling reflective eyes of his feline guide and a small beam of light stretched along the ground. Ryou's large eyes traced the light to its source. A hastily fitted, crude, wooden door loomed before him, partially obscuring the flickering glow of numerous torches and the incoherent sound of raised voices. Ryou's stomach churned violently. Someone other than himself and Malik were alive in this tomb. Ryou began to back away from the door but was stopped by the cat's judgmental eyes peering up at him. Gulping down his fear, Ryou stretched a pale, reluctant arm towards the door and proceeded to give it a gentle push. The incoherent murmuring grew to a volley of growls, curses and shouts of frustration as the crack between the door and wall widened. Keeping safely hidden, Ryou poked his head through the gap and peered into the occupied room. From what he could see, this room would have initially been used to house the bodies of the Pharaoh's slaves who were unfortunate enough to be alive at the time of his death. Ryou poked his head further through the door. Sure enough, the bodies of numerous slaves were present, however, the caskets of these loyal servants had been pillaged and defiled and were now pushed against the walls of this small chamber to clear space in the centre for… Ryou's coffee-coloured eyes widened in shock. In the centre of the room, amidst an array of biting, scratching and cursing, were the entangled forms of Marik and Bakura. Ryou gasped and pulled his head back out of the room so he wouldn't be seen yet he could still hear the voices of the two Egyptians perfectly. 

As Ryou listened, one of the yamis, Marik by the sound of it, growled something in Egyptian that sounded like a challenge. This 'challenge' was answered by a manic laugh that unmistakably belonged to Ryou's own tomb robbing yami… 

Ryou strained his ears, desperately trying to decipher anything they were saying. From the sound of it, the two yamis had begun grappling again. The sharp smashes of pottery being knocked over echoed out of the room and down the corridor drowning out the shuffling and scrambling of bare feet on dirt. Ryou could make out some of the words being shouted as Egyptian curses; he had heard Bakura exchange them with Yami and Marik on numerous occasions. The silent eavesdropper cringed as the sound of torso impacting stone reverberated off the walls, quickly followed by more insane laughter, this time from Marik, that only ceased to make way for infrequent spluttering sounds. It seemed as though Marik's body had been the one to impact... and by the sounds of it he couldn't have been happier. To any normal person, the sounds emanating from the small chamber would indicate a quarrel that had far exceeded getting out of hand but not to Ryou. Ryou knew those voices. They hadn't changed after decades of imprisonment. This was not the sound of disagreement. This was the sound of pleasure. 

Ryou took a step away from the door. He was right about the cat. It had lead them straight to the yamis they were looking for. However, the scene in the chamber beyond was not one Ryou wished to experience while he had a choice.

"Ryou!!" 

The sound of his own name being bellowed down the narrow tunnel startled the retreating spy to his senses. However, before he could react, Ryou felt a huge force impact his unguarded back as Malik charged blindly into him. Ryou let out a terrified yell as the two boys tumbled through the doorway and into the torch lit chamber beyond. 

Once again, Ryou found himself lying on the hard ground with the motionless form of Malik sprawled across him. The dirt covered boy remained where he was breathing heavily with fear, his eyes screwed tight against the vision he knew would be waiting for him once he opened them. Two insane yamis… their sneers mocking, their eyes burning, peering down at the two helpless hikaris with nothing but sadistic intent. Ryou vowed that he would never trust a purple-eyed cat again.  


	7. Feelings laid bare

**Author Notes:**

**LB:** appears out of a bush...shh...we are still hunting those two lovebirds... part of the reason why this chappie is so late... grabs The Muffin and pulls her back

**TM:** *squeaks* Why you pulling me back but not your bishi corps?! *waves arms about frantically*

**LB: C**os, they're trained!! I trained them myself... and anyway, they don't need you glomping them every step like you have been doing!!****

**TM: ***pouts*

**LB:** Anyway back to the fic and we'll keep it short just in case our prey turns up. nods at the silver haired bish who then proceeds to gag a squirming TM Thank you for reviewing, please enjoy reading this chappie as much as I have enjoyed writing it and please review.

**TM:** muffle muffle muffle!!

**LB:** *nods contently then signals to a nearby tree*

a tall bishie with long pale blue hair bearing the mark of the bishi corp leader pops his head out from behind a tree 

**Bishi Corp leader:** TM and LB have assigned me to inform you that there is to be more Shounen Ai in this chapter than usual. Skip those bits if you really have to just don't say they didn't warn you. *bows deeply then disappears behind the tree*

**LB:** Very good, Now on with the fic!

**Disclaimer:**

**Bishi leader:** The authoresses do not own Yu-Gi-Oh... but they do own the Bishi Corps and any other bishi foolish enough to come across their path. Take it away Bishi Corps!

**Bishi corps:** The Bishi Corps hunt day and night!

The Bishi Corps hunt day and night!

To catch the bishis that take flight!

To catch the bishis that take flight!

**Bishi lieutenant:** Dark magician sighted sir!!

**Bishi leader:** Charge!!

LB + TM struggle to keep up

**Chapter 7** by Lightning Baron

Bakura placed his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow. Marik rubbed his sore sides and half staggered over. Breathing heavily, he moved so that he stood next to Bakura, his face twisting into that of a perverted madman,

"Now _that_ is cute…" he stated, bending down and cupping Ryou's chin in his hand. Malik snarled in spite of himself. Marik saw this and looked him in the eye. Roughly, he grasped the fabric at the front of Malik's robe and hauled him up, into the light of a torch on the wall.

"What's the deal… he looks like me…" Marik mused, cocking his head to one side and examining his future hikari. Meanwhile, Ryou was staring up into the eyes of his tomb robbing Yami. He was taken aback. His tomb robbing Yami of old was quite different to what he imagined. He had shorter hair, it was still snowy white, but it only came to his neck. His eyes were a frosty shade of blue and his physique was much more muscular and his skin was a deep tan, like his companions. And the scar on his face…Ryou found himself wondering how he got it… Bakura sighed and heaved him up by his arms and placed him on the table at the back of the room. He placed his hands palm down either side of the pale boy and stared at him. Despite the longer hair, milky skin and the absence of a scar and blue eyes…this boy looked a lot like him. Ryou blushed and tried to look away but Bakura's hand forced him to look into his eyes again. In the same instance, Malik was thumped kicking and screaming down next to Ryou on the table, his teeth bared as he tried to scratch at Marik's skin. Marik, whilst keeping away from Malik's defences, tied the sleeves up on his robe straightjacket style so he couldn't do any further damage. Crossing his arms before him, he glanced sideways,

"Aren't you going to restrain him?" he asked, nodding to Ryou. Bakura shook his head. The pale, shy boy before him wouldn't try to escape; he didn't have it in him he figured.

Marik snorted and turned his attention again to his enraged future hikari, 

"Well, would you mind telling us what you are doing here? And who you are?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in an 'intimidating' manor. Malik, however, was used to this intimidating nature and brushed it aside,

"Both are none of your business! Let us go!" he snapped. Marik laughed at the blond boy before him. Bakura shook his head. He was tired having been up all the previous night surveying the palace grounds, making sure every little detail was perfect. And there was Marik, he took enough energy out of you to power a small village, and that's only when you are trying to keep him down.

"Who cares? Lock them up and we'll deal with them later. I need some sleep…" the thief yawned. Marik toned down his laughter into a slight giggle.

"If you say so. C'mon, you…I have a nice little hole you can go in. You'll be nice and cosy in there with your little friend" he grinned and hauled Malik off of the table, being careful again to avoid his flailing legs. Bakura grabbed Ryou's shoulder and yanked him off the table, throwing him, with Malik, into a small hole built into the wall just large enough to permit two sitting figures to reside within. Bakura shut the bars in front of them and locked them in tight and then left them to it, muttering an oath or two about Marik's habits and how he wouldn't tolerate them this evening, he wanted some sleep before they assassinated the pharaoh. 

There was a single blanket in the boys' small prison and nothing else, except a damp chill and a musty smell. Malik growled and let out a yell of frustration, causing Ryou to shrink away from him. Ryou nervously lent forwards and pulled the sleeves of his robes apart so his arms were free. Immediately Malik griped the bars and shook them in a frenzied effort to jolt them loose, swearing and cursing both in Egyptian and Japanese as he went.

"Malik…" Ryou whispered softly.

Malik continued to hammer on the bars…

"…Malik…"

Still, he shook the bars,

"…Malik-kun…?" Ryou whispered, placing his hand gently on Malik's trembling shoulder.

"What?!" Malik shouted, wheeling round and smacking Ryou's hand from his shoulder. Ryou shrank back against the damp wall behind him and drew his knees up to his chin…

"Don't do that…please? You're…scaring me….and…I'm sorry I ran off. It's my fault were in this mess…I'm sorry…" He whispered, barely audible above Malik's harsh breathing. Malik's face softened as he eyed Ryou trembling against the cell's wall. He dropped his eyes and sat down, resting his arm on his knee, trying to return himself to normal. Ryou must be frightened because he sees Bakura like this, in a blind fury…who knows what he does to his hikari when he's enraged and to be in a confined space with a raging madman must be terrifying. He looked back up at Ryou, who was peering out from over his knees, his eyes wet and flickering in the dim torch light…

"…angel…." He whispered.

"W-what, Malik…? What…did you say?"

Malik felt himself turning red again. Twice today he'd upset the one person he vowed never to harm in any way, twice he had seen him cry. He sighed and crawled into a corner, squeezed his eyes shut and sighed heavily. Opening them again, he saw Ryou was still watching him with his dark eyes. Malik smiled and held out his arms to him. Ryou sat up and looked about himself nervously, trying desperately to hide the increasing shivers that went through his body, causing his milky skin to pimple.

"C'mon…I won't bite. Please Ryou…I want to say sorry" 

Ryou looked at him and nodded slowly. Leaning forwards, he slid himself into Malik's embrace and let the Egyptian pull his cold body close to him. Malik wrapped his arms and legs about the trembling boy and pulled him close, stroking his hair in a soothing way and rocking him slightly,

"I would never hurt you, Ryou, you know that, don't you?" he lulled into his hair. Ryou mumbled a shaky 'yes' into Malik's neck,

"I'm sorry I scared you" he mumbled soothingly. He didn't know who was shaking more, him or Ryou and he found himself trying to choke back the tears that were forming in his eyes. A small sniffle confirmed that Ryou was also attempting to remain calm but failing miserably. Malik pulled his angel away from his neck and saw that he had been crying quite a lot…must be an expert at crying silently as well Malik mused. 

"Ryou…I…" Malik started, but was cut off when Ryou shook his head and began to cry openly, the tears streaking his dusty face, his sobs no longer contained. The two boys found themselves hugging each other in tight embrace, each crying into the others shoulder. Malik hadn't cried like this in a long time, his tears falling down and soaking the thin shawl that was wrapped around Ryou's shoulders. They stayed like that for a good few minutes, not wanting to let go of one another until Malik once again pulled Ryou away from him. He wouldn't let it be like earlier, he would show Ryou how he felt…he must, otherwise…he'd go insane…he simply had to let him know. Shaking, he lent forwards and kissed Ryou's swollen eyes gently. He heard Ryou gasp as he did so and so shushed him quietly. He brought his face down to rub his nose with Ryou's, looking into the puffy brown orbs as he did so. Finally, he pushed Ryou's face up with his nose and brushed his lips over Ryou's. Ryou whimpered slightly when he drew back to make sure he wasn't scaring him…'Malik'…Ryou mouthed, shutting his eyes. Malik smiled in relief and drew him near again, this time planting his lips more firmly onto Ryou's, gently seeking and rubbing softly until the angel returned the kiss that was being shared with him. They broke apart, a little breathless, and looked at each other. Ryou smiled softly,

"Malik…does this mean…?" he whispered,

"Hmph…you silly fool…of course…" Malik giggled. Ryou sniffed and threw himself upon Malik, re-engaging the kiss Malik had started. Malik went wide-eyed for a moment, before returning his gesture. Ryou soon found the cold driven from his body as Malik massaged his legs, starting at his ankles and slowly working his way up until he was stroking his thighs. Swapping legs occasionally, he found his hand wandering to rub Ryou's soft inner thigh slightly; Ryou drew his legs tighter together and brought them up closer to the warm, soft hand. Malik kissed the blush that was forming on Ryou's cheeks as he continued to rub away the cold from his goose pimpled skin. Malik pulled the single blanket up around Ryou and started stroking Ryou's chest and shoulders, building the pressure until he was massaging him again. Ryou shut his eyes and sighed shakily as Malik continued to kiss him softly in various places, suckling on his sweet skin and pulling him closer. He'd never dreamed that Malik would do something like this to him; the amount of affection shocked him as he snuggled as close as he could to Malik's warm chest, no longer afraid of showing his affections to his new love, pressing his longing body into Malik's massaging hands and moaning softly.

And so they remained like that until Malik fell asleep having soothed Ryou into slumber long ago, his head buried in the sweet smelling mass of soft silver hair. 

…,,,***~***,,,…

"I fucking HATE THAT PHARAOH!!!" Bakura screamed, sending another ornament crashing to the floor with a well-placed swing of his arm. Back in the present, things were getting slightly tense in Ryou Bakura's house. After returning from the hospital, slinging insults at _anyone, _Bakura went back to storming around attempting to find a solution their problems. However, at the rate he was going, he'd have the place smashed to bits by ten that night. Marik was staring out of the window to the widowed yellow sports bike, his head resting on his hand. As much as he hated to admit it, he missed his little hikari. He liked having the small, stropy teen about. Life with Malik Ishtar was never dull, weather they were arguing or scheming, they had formed a brotherly bond…well, if you leave out Marik perving on him in the shower and trying to set him up with his own lover, Bakura. Now he'd just have to accept the fact that he was going to have to sit and wait until a solution presented itself. The pensive Yami jumped slightly as one of Ryou's schoolbooks was sent flying in his direction and collided with the window, the force rattling the pane slightly.

"Will you STOP daydreaming and do something??! You've done nothing but sit there, you useless excuse for a Yami!!" Bakura bellowed. Marik turned and glared at Bakura,

"Well, throwing things at people and smashing stuff doesn't help! Why don't _you_ try 'thinking' for a change?!" he sneered, completely ignoring the twitch that had appeared in Bakura's eye. If it was possible for him, Marik was starting to get annoyed with the constant crashing and cursing. He was tired again,

"Think?! You don't _think_…you perv! You sit there and think up different uses for those S&M cards you have! Usually trying to incorporate certain Hikari's in them!"

Now Marik was mad…

"ME?! What about YOU! You're just as bad! Some of the things you were fantasising about your hikari last night were enough to give an entire crowd nosebleeds!!"

"You're a filthy pervert!"

"You're a cradle-snatching thief!!"

The words had barely left Marik's lips when Bakura let out an almighty growl and threw himself at Marik. The two landed with a sickening 'crack' under the window, joining the abused schoolbook. The pair continued to trade insults and hit each other until Marik kneed Bakura in a rather sensitive place and threw him off. Struggling up, he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and looked down on his winded lover, who was bent over double, his hands clutching his pride in an effort to kill the pain. Smirking, he stepped towards Bakura, planning on giving him another good kicking, just for good luck, but was caught off guard when Bakura yelled and grabbed his legs. Marik gave a yell of frustration as Bakura sank his unusually long incisors into his leg causing him to collapse to his knees. Bakura clawed his way up Marik's body, fending off Marik's slaps and punches and wrapped his hands about his throat,

"That wasn't very nice!  Next time I go near _yours_, ill make sure I bite it off!" Bakura yelled menacingly, Marik coughing and struggling underneath him. Marik proceeded to hammer on Bakura's back and chest in a vain attempt to get him off…why he wasn't succeeding was beyond him, his muscle were far larger than that of Bakura's. Just when Marik thought he was going to pass out, he found a fresh bruise that he had made the earlier night and dug his nails into it as hard as he could. Bakura yelped slightly and broke his grip on Marik's neck meaning he could now beat him some more. Marik punched Bakura in the ribs a few times before clawing at his chest, all the time avoiding his retaliatory attacks. But again, Bakura attempted to latch onto Marik's leg and they fell backwards. Marik grabbed a chunk of silver hair and pulled it as hard as he could, flinching every time Bakura bit him. Finally, they both ended up glaring at each other, both pulling chunks of hair and screaming at the tops of their lungs,

"Fucking vicious pervert!"

"Bitchy little shit"

"Me?! You asshol….."

in fact, the two were so busy trying to kill each other, that they didn't realise they were being observed from across the room.

Shadi lifted an eyebrow…he couldn't tell weather they were killing each other, or enjoying themselves. He took a soundless step forwards, his soft sandaled feet barely crushing the fibres in the cream carpet as he approached the bickering Yami's.

"I HATE you!!"

"You're a little bastard, you know that don't you?"

"….well you…..er…..Bakura?"

"WHAT!!!"

Marik had spotted the spiritual form of Shadi standing next to them, punching Bakura so he'd look round, he narrowed his eyes,

"What do you want, you weird floaty freak?"

Shadi ignored Marik and addressed them,

"I have come to inform you about your hikari's" he stated simply in his heavy accent. 

Bakura looked up, "Oh?"

"They have been trapped in ancient Egypt by powerful shadow magic. However, this is no coincidence; they have a task to complete. When this is done, they will return to their normal lives. There is nothing you can do to help them, so I'd advise you to wait for them to return" he said, taking in Bakura's increasingly livid expression,

"Just wait for them?! What do you mean, just wait for them!! Aaarrg!" the pale spirit scrambled out from underneath Marik and took a swing a Shadi. He, however, dodged this smoothly and took a step back,

"They will return….trust me..." and with that, he vanished, leaving Bakura to pant heavily in the middle of the lounge. 

Marik stood up with the help of the sofa and looked at the spot Shadi had disappeared, then at Bakura who looked back…

"…you're bleeding…come here, ill fix you…" he mumbled. Marik obliged. 

…,,,***~***,,,…

"Breath in, Ryou!" Malik hissed, attempting for the fifth time to squeeze Ryou though the bars of their small, musty prison. The pair had awoken about twenty minutes beforehand and after much hugging and snuggling, they realised that they had to get out of their prison and back to the palace before the banquet started as Malik decided that the event was a perfect opportunity for their yamis to assassinate the pharaoh. They needed the key to unlock the bars holding them in their tiny prison and as Ryou was the smaller of the two, Malik figured that Ryou might be able to squeeze through the bars. However, he wasn't quite going. 

"I'm breathing in as much as I can…."

"Your too warm, that's your problem… if you get cold again, you will shrink and you will fit through!" Malik announced. Ryou sighed and collapsed on the cold floor.

Finally, Malik came up with a decent plan. If they both hung on one bar and pulled as hard as they possible could, they may shift the bar just that extra millimetre enough to get Ryou through. His plan was successful, though Ryou's chest was slightly red where it had scraped on the bar, he was free.

"Ryou! Go and get one of those jars… that's it… now, fill it with sand. You can use it to make a trail so you don't get lost" Malik instructed from the wall. Ryou nodded and did as he was told and started heading out the chamber, glancing backwards as he did,

"Be careful Ryou..." Malik smiled softly. Ryou nodded and hurried quietly out, beginning to trail his sand when the door was almost out of view.

Ryou had been stumbling around for about half an hour, going down different corridors and doubling back, erasing the dead end lines as so not to get confused. Finally, he came across a feint light emanating from another crude door. Swallowing his fear he stepped a little closer. The door was ajar enough for him to be able to squeeze through, but he chose to listen for a while. Their were feint voices coming from the dimly lit chamber that seemed to be arguing softly, as if one was trying to talk and the other just didn't want to know. The timid boy put his head round the door and let his eyes adjust to the feint light. The voices were emanating from the bed that was positioned on the right wall. Ryou held back a nervous gasp: it was Marik and Bakura. Great, they were awake, this would make stealing the key that much more difficult. He squinted in an effort to get a better view on the situation. A small glint confirmed that the key was on the floor, seemingly discarded with no care as to weather it was lost or not. It was lying a few feet from the bed. Ryou contemplated weather or not he could sneak over and get it, as the two thieves had their back turned away from the door. Summoning up al the courage he could, Ryou began to crawl slowly and silently over to the key. He could hear the blood pumping in his ears as he tried to keep his breathing steady and his mind focussed. As he got closer, his insides curled slightly as he saw for the first time what they were doing. Bakura was stripped to the waist and Marik was licking several fresh cuts on the tomb robbers back, seemingly acquired when they were 'training' earlier. Ryou cringed but kept crawling, ignoring the occasional soft curse and noises of displeasure from Bakura and the soft chuckling of Marik. Reaching his goal, Ryou stretched out for the key, curled his fingers around it and began to back away slowly. His backing away got faster as it seemed that Bakura was no longer wiling to put up with his affectionate lover any longer and began to shrug him off, speaking what sounded like threats and more curses as Marik complained. Ryou reached the door and was careful to avoid hitting it as he backed his way out of the chamber and stood up slowly. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, he clutched the key to his chest and began to re-race his steps, following his sand line back up the dim corridors. His heart stopped, however, when he heard muttering and soft foot falls down the corridor he had just come up. Marik and Bakura were following him! They must be ready to make their move, tonight! Ryou panicked as he stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do, trying to make his adrenalin fuelled brain function properly. He took the only option available to him: he ran as fast as he could down the marked corridors hoping that he would reach Malik in enough time to free him and make their escape before their past yamis could realise anything was wrong.

Malik had just finished counting the bricks on the far wall and was moving on to counting the cracks in the floor when Ryou came running into the room and a full sprint,

"Malik…no…time…..yamis…cough…" Ryou panted as Malik opened his mouth to speak. Kneeling down, he tried with shaky hands to undo the lock attached to the bars. With a strained 'click' the padlock opened and released Malik, who was hauled to his feet by Ryou. 

"What's going on? You didn't wake them up did you?!" Malik hissed. Ryou shook his head quickly, regaining his normal breathing pattern again,

"No. They were already awake, and I didn't make a noise, but they are coming! They are going to do it tonight! During the banquet, we have to get back and warn Yami!" he said in a hurry.

Malik's eyes widened, "Coming?! You mean now!? We have to get out of here, but… we don't know the way!" he looked about the room in shear panic as he heard footsteps coming down the dark corridor leading out of the room.

"What are we going to do, Malik?! That's our only way out!!" Ryou whispered frantically, grabbing hold of Malik's tunic for comfort. 

There was nothing they could do, they watched as two shadowy figures materialised out of the gloom of the corridor. The two boys tried hiding behind the table, merely for a little more comfort as the though of meeting them head on was terrifying. Ambushing them was out of the question, they'd be ripped to shreds in moments.

The two yamis stepped over the threshold and glared at the empty cell…

"You left the key on the floor, didn't you Marik?" Bakura said dangerously to Marik, who shrugged. Bakura growled and turned on him but was stopped when Marik gestured with his head at the two cowering figures crouching behind the table. Malik stood up and pushed Ryou behind him as the yamis advanced slowly. Ryou squealed and backed into a pile of jars… this gave Malik an idea… He shouted an Egyptian curse and hurled a jar at Marik, which hit him between the eyes. Shouting and cursing he clutched the table in pain. At the same moment, Bakura let out a howl of agony as a certain purple-eyed feline had sprung up and on the table and attacked Bakura's face. Malik grabbed Ryou and shoved a cursing Bakura out of the way and made a run for the door,

"But, the cat! Malik!!" Ryou cried as they reached the door,

"Leave it; it'll be fine… c'mon Ryou!" Malik yelled and ran blindly through the gloom.

Bakura finally prised the cat from his face and threw him aside into a stack of jars…

"I bloody hate cats… Marik! Stop whimpering and move… we have to catch them... heey!!" Bakura yelled as the invincible cat streaked out of the room and chased the escaped hikaris. Growling, Bakura grabbed Marik and dragged him after the feline.


	8. The art of Gate Crashing

**Author Notes:**

**TheMuffin****:** Yes yes, i know! I'm a cruel cruel NASTY person who doesn't update fics! I'm unworthy! I'm scum! I'm Anzu-like!! *falls to the floor sobbing*

**LightningBaron****: **I would give you sympathy but, dude... its been a year!!****

**TM: **I've had college!

**LB: **You finished that last May!

**TM: **I've had university!

**LB: **You finished that in December!

**TM:** I've been hunting bishi! *holds up a gagged, worried looking Celtic Guardian*

**LB:** We caught them months ago! *holds up a gagged, disgruntled looking Dark Magician*

**TM:** I have full time work!

**LB:** So do i!!

**TM:** Yeah well... you smell! .****

**LB: ***sweatdrops* Anyway... you've updated it now and i suppose that 


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